Effects of exercise on dexterity

As musicians occasionally report that their dextral facility is improved by recent exercise, it was hypothesized that manual dexterity would be influenced by a task requiring exertion. Before and after exertion on the Harvard Step Test, the experimental group's (n = 25) manual dexterity was tested on a grooved peg board. The control group's (n = 40) manual dexterity was measured before and after an inactive period. In both groups learning was significantly faster with the nondominant hand than with the dominant hand. Reasons why the hypothesis was not fully supported are discussed and suggestions for research noted.