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Executive function use during exercise predicts performance on laboratory measures of executive functioning

University of British Columbia

This dissertation explores the hypothesis that cognitive engagement is an important predictor of the relationship between exercise and executive functioning. Chapter 1 introduces the background claim that exercise benefits executive functioning. This includes reviewing the relationship between exercise and improvements in executive functioning via changes in cerebral blood flow and neuroplasticity. The exercise-executive function relationship is also reviewed via literature on exercise history, duration, intensity, and type. This review concludes by introducing the primary hypothesis of this dissertation, namely, that cognitively-engaging exercise should predict better executive functioning. Chapter 2 tested this hypothesis through an empirical study (N = 145) of undergraduates who self-reported their executive function use during exercise, and then completed executive function tasks (i.e., flanker and backward span). Students reporting engagement in exercise that relied on inhibitory control were found to perform better on a flanker task, and students reporting engagement in exercise that relied on cognitive flexibility performed better on a backward span task. Chapter 3 recruited an independent sample of undergraduates (N = 228) and had them complete different executive function tasks (i.e., stop-signal and trail making B). The main finding was that when students reported engaging in exercise that relied on inhibitory control they had faster stop-signal reaction time and made fewer trail making errors, and when they reported engaging in exercise that relied on cognitive flexibility they had slower stop-signal reaction time and trail making completion time. Chapter 4 recruited a more diverse sample of participants (e.g., older, more males; N = 225) and had them complete the same executive function tasks as chapter 2. The main finding was that correlations now ran in opposite directions. When individuals engaged in exercise that relied on inhibitory control, they performed worse on a flanker task, and when they engaged in exercise that relied on cognitive flexibility, they performed worse on a backward span task. Chapter 5 summarizes these findings and speculates that cognitively-engaging exercise may predict better or worse executive functioning depending on the underlying motivation and context driving one to exercise, as well as discussing the potential role of leisure activity.

Text

2021-01-14

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/77096

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/