Self-reported free-living physical activity and executive control in young adults

Investigating Ecological Momentary Assessed Physical Activity and Core Executive Functions in 18- to 24-Year-Old Undergraduate Students

Although evidence for young children (<10) and older adults (>64) highlights an association between physical activity (PA) and executive functions (EFs), there is a paucity of research on adolescents aged 18-24 years. Thus, this study examined the associations between PA and EF and the difference in EF between individuals who achieve the moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) guidelines and those who do not. Forty-seven participants engaged in a Stroop task, a reverse Corsi-block test, and a task-switching test, to measure inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, respectively. An ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was used to determine the participant's MVPA and step count, through the "Pathverse" app. Multiple regressions were run to predict the task-switch cost, the Stroop effect, and the backward Corsi span from time spent in MVPA. A two-way ANCOVA examined the effects of achieving the MVPA guidelines on EF. MVPA and step count did not significantly predict EF. There were no significant differences in EF between participants achieving the MVPA guidelines and those that did not. Time spent in MVPA and step count were not significantly associated with working memory, cognitive flexibility, or inhibition in adolescents. Further research is warranted to understand other factors that may significantly affect EF, within and outside an individual's control.

Brief report: Free-living physical activity levels and cognitive control in multi-problem young adults

Previous studies indicate a positive association between physical activity and cognitive control in sedentary but healthy adults, yet not much is known about physical activity levels in multi-problem young adults. We examined the level of self-reported free-living physical activity (i.e., MET minutes per week) in an ecologically valid sample of young adults facing multiple problems, including unemployment, lack of education, frequent substance use, and history of delinquency. We compared cognitive control with an age- and sex-matched control sample. Additionally, the association between physical activity and cognitive control (i.e., response inhibition, error processing, interference effect) in the multi-problem group was examined. Physical activity and cognitive control were measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form and three cognitive control experiments (i.e., Flanker, Go/NoGo, Stroop), respectively. With M = 4428 Metabolic Equivalents (METs), our multi-problem sample (n = 63) showed physical activity levels similar to the age- and sex-matched control sample from the general population (n = 62). The multi-problem young adults also showed impaired cognitive control indexed as decreased response inhibition and decreased Flanker correctness effect compared to their peers. We could not find an association between self-reported physical activity and cognitive control in the multi-problem sample. Due to the small sample size, results should be interpreted with caution. However, future dose-response studies could still use these results to further examine if within-individual increased physical activity may possibly lead to improved cognitive control in (already relatively active) multi-problem young adults.

Longitudinal Study of Body Composition and Energy Expenditure in Overweight or Obese Young Adults

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of an aerobic training program with a strength training program on body composition and energy expenditure in overweight or obese (29.06 ± 3.49 kg/m²) young adults (21.96 ± 1.90 years). Subjects (N = 109) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group (CG), an aerobic training (AT) group and a strength training (ST) group. Training took place over twelve weeks comprising three sessions per week with each session lasting 60 to 90 minutes. Before and after the program, weight, height, body mass index, lean mass percentage and fat mass percentage were evaluated. In addition, The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to estimate energy expenditure. The results of both aerobic training and strength training produced statistically significant improvements in weight (AT-CG = −2.892 kg; ST-CG = −2.986 kg); BMI (AT-CG = −1.075 kg/m²; ST-CG = −1.118 kg/m²); total body fat (AT-CG = −1529.172 g; ST-CG = −763.815); and total body fat percentage (AT-CG = −1.421%; AT-ST = −0.855%). These two exercise prescription models were therefore useful in reducing overweight and obesity, which could have an impact on improving the health and quality of life of individuals with these characteristics.

Physical Activity Is Associated With Better Executive Function in University Students

Introduction: In recent years, the study of the benefits that physical exercise has on brain health has acquired special relevance. In order to implement exercise as an intervention to protect the brain, it is important to have a more clear idea of its effect in the young population. However, few studies have been carried out on these ages. Objective: The main objective of our study was to evaluate the association between physical activity (PA) with memory and executive function, in university students, analyzing the modulatory effect of sex. Methodology: We collected socio-demographic and life habit information, as well as data on the PA that was carried out during the previous week using the international PAquestionnaire short version (IPAQ-SF) questionnaire in 206 university students (mean age 19.55 ± 2.39; 67.5% women). Memory and executive function were assessed using a comprehensive battery of validate cognitive tests. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to correlate PA with cognitive tests scores and to evaluate the potential synergistic role of sex. Results: The main finding was that the total amount of PA correlated positively with several tests that evaluated aspects of executive function, specifically Stroop Colors (Pearson's r = 0.17; p = 0.01) and the Stroop Test Color-Word (Pearson's r = 0.15. p = 0.03). These results were adjusted by a large number of possible confounders and modifying variables in a multivariate analysis, like age, sex, academic record, day of the week, and time at which the test was performed. Additionally, we found out that sex had a synergistic effect with PA on the executive test Trail making test-A (TMTA), and in women, this association was stronger than in men. The more PA women reported, the better they performed, that is to say that they took less time to finalize the TMT-A (interaction term between PA and sex: b = -0.0009; p = 0.014). Conclusion: Our study adds evidence of the benefit of PA in cognition in the young population, specifically in the executive inhibitory control, and more significantly in women.

Variability in Executive Control Performance Is Predicted by Physical Activity

Physical activity (PA) promotes neurogenesis and has neuroprotective effects on the brain, bolstering the structural and functional resources necessary for improved cognitive functioning. Intraindividual variability (IIV) in cognitive performance is linked to neuropsychological structure and functional ability. Despite evidence of the neurogenerative and neuroprotective effects of PA, limited investigation into the link between PA and IIV has been conducted. Across three studies we investigate the effect of PA on IIV in reaction time (RT) on three modified Flanker Tasks. The International PA Questionnaire was used to evaluate PA while the Attention Network Test (ANT) and two additional modified Flanker Tasks were used to assess executive control and attentional performance. RT coefficients of variation (RTCV) were calculated for each participant by dividing the standard deviation by the mean RT for each stimuli condition. Analysis revealed that basic RT was not associated with PA nor was PA predictive of IIV on the modified Flanker Tasks. However, three consistent findings emerged from analysis of the ANT. First, RTCV and moderate PA were positively related, such that more self-reported moderate PA was associated with greater IIV. Conversely, RTCV and vigorous PA were negatively related. Finally, when controlling for the effects of PA on IIV in young adults, variability decreases as age increases. In sum, PA is predictive of IIV on attentional and executive control tasks in young adults, though only at particular intensities and on certain tasks, indicating that task type and cognitive load are important determinants of the relationship between PA and cognitive performance. These findings are consistent with prior literature that suggests that the role of PA in young adults is reliant on specific interventions and measures in order to detect effects more readily found in adolescent and aging populations.