Exercise intensity or cognitive engagement? Interactive effects of physical and cognitive demands during a single session of exergaming on executive function in university students

This study examined the independent and interactive effects of exercise intensity and cognitive engagement during a single session of exergaming on executive function in university students. Using a 2 (exercise intensity: low vs. moderate) × 3 (cognitive engagement: low vs. moderate vs. high) within-subjects design, twenty-five participants completed six exergaming conditions in a counterbalanced order. Executive function was assessed after each condition using the 2-back task for working memory, the Flanker task for inhibitory control, and the More–Odd Shifting task for cognitive flexibility. Significant Exercise Intensity × Cognitive Engagement interactions were found for 2-back accuracy and More–Odd Shifting accuracy. Under low-intensity exercise, higher cognitive engagement improved 2-back accuracy, with moderate- and high-engagement conditions outperforming the low-engagement condition. In the More–Odd Shifting task, high engagement produced higher accuracy than low and moderate engagement under low intensity. These engagement-related differences were not significant under moderate intensity. Moderate intensity generally led to better working-memory and cognitive-flexibility performance than low intensity, as indicated by higher accuracy and/or shorter reaction time. Flanker performance showed limited modulation by exercise intensity and cognitive engagement, with robust trial-type effects indicating poorer performance on incongruent than congruent trials. Overall, moderate exercise intensity appears more beneficial than low intensity for working memory and cognitive flexibility during acute exergaming, whereas cognitive-engagement benefits are conditional and emerge mainly under low-intensity exercise. These findings suggest that the combined effects of exercise intensity and cognitive engagement may be condition-specific, highlighting the importance of matching physical and cognitive demands to target outcomes and user characteristics.