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Updated: May 30, 2025
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Published on: February 11, 2017
Acute effect of aerobic exercise on inhibitory control and task-related heart rate variability in preadolescent
Melanie Berger1, Fabienne Bruggisser1, Anja Schwarz1
1Department of Sports, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Grosse Allee 6, Basel 4052, Switzerland.
Objectives:
To investigate whether a single session of aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control in preadolescent children and whether this effect is mediated by changes in parasympathetic activity.
Design:
In this experimental study, an intervention and control group were pair-matched by age, sex and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
Method:
114 participants either completed a 20 min moderately-intense exercise bout on a cycling ergometer or watched a 20 min video. Prior to and after these conditions, a computer-based Stroop task was administered. During the cognitive task, heart rate variability (HRV) was measured using electrocardiography.
Results:
Path-analyses did not support an association between group and posttest accuracy on the Stroop task, while controlling for pretest scores. However, the intervention group had lower time-domain based HRV at posttest. The examination of mediation models revealed a moderation by sex, as the relation of lower time-domain based HRV with higher accuracy on both congruent and incongruent trials of the Stroop task was observed in girls only.
Conclusion:
A single aerobic exercise session does not necessarily improve inhibitory control in preadolescent children. However, the manipulation of the autonomic state towards a parasympathetic withdrawal has the potential to alter inhibitory control in girls in particular.
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