TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of Physical Exercise Breaks on Executive Function in a Simulated Classroom Setting
T2 - Uncovering a Window into the Brain
AU - Yu, Qian
AU - Zhang, Zhihao
AU - Ludyga, Sebastian
AU - Erickson, Kirk I.
AU - Cheval, Boris
AU - Hou, Meijun
AU - Pindus, Dominika M.
AU - Hillman, Charles H.
AU - Kramer, Arthur F.
AU - Falck, Ryan S.
AU - Liu-Ambrose, Teresa
AU - Kuang, Jin
AU - Mullen, Sean P.
AU - Kamijo, Keita
AU - Ishihara, Toru
AU - Raichlen, David A.
AU - Heath, Matthew
AU - Moreau, David
AU - Werneck, André O.
AU - Herold, Fabian
AU - Zou, Liye
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.
PY - 2025/1/20
Y1 - 2025/1/20
N2 - Acknowledging the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting, this study examined the effects of an acute exercise break during prolonged sitting on executive function, cortical hemodynamics, and microvascular status. In this randomized crossover study, 71 college students completed three conditions: (i) uninterrupted sitting (SIT); (ii) SIT with a 15 min moderate-intensity cycling break (MIC); and (iii) SIT with a 15 min vigorous-intensity cycling break (VIC). Behavioral outcomes, retinal vessel diameters (central retinal artery equivalents [CRAE], retinal vein equivalents [CRVE], arteriovenous ratio [AVR]), cortical activation, and effective connectivity were evaluated. Linear mixed models identified significant positive effects of exercise conditions on behavioral reaction time (RT), error rate, and inverse efficiency score (β = −2.62, −0.19, −3.04: ps < 0.05). MIC and VIC conditions produced pre-to-post-intervention increases in CRAE and CRVE (β = 4.46, 6.34), frontal activation, and resting-state and task-state causal density (β = 0.37, 0.06) (ps < 0.05) compared to SIT; VIC was more beneficial for executive function and neurobiological parameters. The effect of AVR on average RT was mediated through task-based causal density (indirect effect: −0.82). Acutely interrupting prolonged sitting improves executive function, microvascular status, and cortical activation and connectivity, with causal density mediating the microvascular-executive function link.
AB - Acknowledging the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting, this study examined the effects of an acute exercise break during prolonged sitting on executive function, cortical hemodynamics, and microvascular status. In this randomized crossover study, 71 college students completed three conditions: (i) uninterrupted sitting (SIT); (ii) SIT with a 15 min moderate-intensity cycling break (MIC); and (iii) SIT with a 15 min vigorous-intensity cycling break (VIC). Behavioral outcomes, retinal vessel diameters (central retinal artery equivalents [CRAE], retinal vein equivalents [CRVE], arteriovenous ratio [AVR]), cortical activation, and effective connectivity were evaluated. Linear mixed models identified significant positive effects of exercise conditions on behavioral reaction time (RT), error rate, and inverse efficiency score (β = −2.62, −0.19, −3.04: ps < 0.05). MIC and VIC conditions produced pre-to-post-intervention increases in CRAE and CRVE (β = 4.46, 6.34), frontal activation, and resting-state and task-state causal density (β = 0.37, 0.06) (ps < 0.05) compared to SIT; VIC was more beneficial for executive function and neurobiological parameters. The effect of AVR on average RT was mediated through task-based causal density (indirect effect: −0.82). Acutely interrupting prolonged sitting improves executive function, microvascular status, and cortical activation and connectivity, with causal density mediating the microvascular-executive function link.
KW - brain Health
KW - cerebrovascular health
KW - effective connectivity
KW - microvascular health
KW - sedentary behavior
KW - young adults
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U2 - 10.1002/advs.202406631
DO - 10.1002/advs.202406631
M3 - Article
C2 - 39584316
AN - SCOPUS:85210440329
SN - 2198-3844
VL - 12
JO - Advanced Science
JF - Advanced Science
IS - 3
M1 - 2406631
ER -