Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of submaximal aerobic
exercise duration on simple and complex cognitive performance. Eight well-trained
male subjects agreed to participate in this study (trial group). A control group of
eight regularly trained male subjects was included for comparative purposes. For the
trial group, the experiment involved a critical flicker fusion test (CFF) and a map
recognition task performed before, every 20 min during, and immediately after, a 3-h
cycling task at an intensity corresponding to ∼ 60 % of V·O2max. Data were obtained over two experimental sessions with fluid ingestion (F) or no
fluid (NF) ingestion. For the control group the experiment was the same but without
exercise and fluid ingestion. In the trial group, a significant effect of hydration
status was observed on physiological parameters (p < 0.05). No effect was found on
cognitive performance. A significant decrease in CFF performance was observed after
120 min of exercise when compared with the first 20 min (respectively for CFFmdi:
2.6 vs. 3.8 Hz), irrespective of experimental condition. A significant improvement
in speed of response (respectively: 3291 vs. 3062 msec for 20 and 120 min, respectively)
and a decrease in error number (21.5 % vs. 6.0 % for 20 and 120 min, respectively)
during the map recognition task were recorded between 80 min and 120 min when compared
with the first 20 min of exercise. After 120 min the number of recorded errors was
significantly greater indicating a shift in the accuracy-speed trade-off (6.0 % vs.
14.1 % for 120 and 180 min, respectively). These results provide some evidence for
exercise-induced facilitation of cognitive function. However this positive effect
disappears during prolonged exercise - as evidenced within our study by an increase
in errors during the complex task and an alteration in perceptual response (i.e. the
appearance of symptoms of central fatigue).
Key words
Cognitive performance - prolonged exercise - hydration - critical flicker fusion test
- short memory
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J. Brisswalter
Laboratoire Ergonomie Sportive et Performance, Université de Toulon-Var
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