Relationships between Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Cognitive Functions in Office Workers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Occupational Health
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Animal studies suggest physical activity (PA) enhances neuroplasticity and learning.
• Human research on PA, sedentary behavior (SB), and cognition often uses self-reports.
• Office work involves prolonged SB and high demands, with fitness linked to better cognitive performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate associations between objectively measured PA and SB and cognitive functions in office workers.
• To determine if moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) or SB duration impacts cognitive outcomes.
• To explore how fitness levels moderate the relationship between PA/SB and cognition.

Main Methods:

• 334 office workers participated in the study.
• Objective measurement of PA and SB using hip-worn accelerometers.
• Assessment of cognitive functions including free recall and Stroop performance.

Main Results:

• Time spent in MVPA was not significantly associated with any cognitive outcome.
• Time spent in SB showed a trend towards a positive association with free recall word count.
• For less fit participants, longer MVPA bout length correlated with better Stroop performance; fitter individuals showed the opposite for recognition.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest that the length of MVPA bouts may benefit specific cognitive tasks (Stroop) in less fit individuals.
• The study does not support a general association between increased MVPA or decreased SB and improved cognitive function in office workers.
• Objective measures reveal nuanced relationships between PA/SB parameters and cognitive performance, moderated by fitness levels.