Different modalities of acute resistance exercise yielded similar cognitive and hemodynamic responses, with cognitive improvements observed primarily in females (p=0.001 for executive function).
RCT (n=20)
Randomized
Do different modalities of acute resistance exercise (with or without blood flow restriction) improve cognition and hemodynamics in young, healthy adults?
Acute resistance exercise improves cognitive flexibility and executive function in young healthy females, regardless of the specific exercise modality or use of blood flow restriction.
p-value: p=>0.05
The aim was to examine the effects of modalities of acute resistance exercise (RE) on cognition and hemodynamics including internal carotid artery (ICA) blood flow (BF). Twenty adults completed familiarization and experimental visits. One-repetition maximum (1RM) for bilateral leg extension was quantified, and baseline executive functioning was determined from three run-in visits. Subsequent visits included three randomized, volume-equated, acute exercise bouts of 30 %1RM+blood flow restriction (BFR), 30 %1RM, and 70 %1RM. Both 30 %1RM trials completed four sets of exercise (1 × 30, 3 × 15), and the 70 %1RM condition completed four sets of 8 repetitions. BFR was induced with 40 % of the pressure to occlude the femoral arteries. 11 min following each exercise, participants completed the Stroop and Shifting Attention Tests. Baseline and post-exercise values were used to calculate change scores. The resulting mean change scores were evaluated with mixed factorial ANOVAs. A p≤0.05 was considered significant. All measured outcome variables increased in response to exercise. The ANOVAs for cognitive scores indicated no significant (p>0.05) interactions. For cognitive flexibility and executive function index, there were main effects of Sex. Change scores of the females were significantly greater than the males for cognitive flexibility (7.6 ± 5.9 vs. -2.6 ± 8.4 au; p=0.007) and executive function index (7.4 ± 4.6 vs. -2.5 ± 6.5 au; p=0.001). For ICA BF, there was no significant interaction or any main effect. The females exhibited a smaller exercise-induced increase in blood pressure compared to the males (17.7 ± 5.9 vs. 11.0 ± 4.1 mmHg; p=0.010). Each RE modality yielded acute improvements in cognition, but only for females. There were no cognitive improvements related to BFR such that each RE bout yielded similar results.
Batman et al. (Mon,) conducted a rct in Healthy adults (n=20). Resistance exercise modalities (30% 1RM + BFR, 30% 1RM, 70% 1RM) vs. Each other (crossover) was evaluated on Cognitive scores (Stroop and Shifting Attention Tests) and internal carotid artery blood flow (p=>0.05). Different modalities of acute resistance exercise yielded similar cognitive and hemodynamic responses, with cognitive improvements observed primarily in females (p=0.001 for executive function).