Effects of acute HIIE combined with meditation on cognitive function among sedentary college students: An fNIRS study

Prolonged sedentary behavior is prevalent among Chinese college students. As representatives of the younger demographic, college students face a multitude of academic, social, and personal challenges, underscoring the need for effective strategies to enhance their cognitive function. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of acute high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) combined with meditation on the cognitive performance of sedentary college students.

A total of 51 sedentary college students (mean age: 20.24 ± 2.19 years) participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a group performing HIIE combined with meditation, a group performing only HIIE, and a control group. To examine the effects of acute HIIE with and without meditation, as well as a control condition, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure changes in cortical hemodynamics (i.e., oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin) during an executive functioning task (Stroop test).

Both acute HIIE combined with meditation [F = 7.783, p = 0.008, η² = 0.140] and acute HIIE alone [F = 37.231, p < 0.001, η² = 0.437] significantly improved cognitive performance in sedentary college students. During the Stroop task, the activation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) was significantly enhanced when combining HIIE with meditation. However, following HIIE alone, a higher activation of both the L-DLPFC and right frontopolar area (R-FPA) was observed.

Both the combined intervention (HIIE and meditation) and HIIE alone had positive effects on cognitive performance in sedentary college students. In the short term, HIIE alone demonstrated a greater impact on cognitive enhancement.