Key result
Moderate exercise decreased reaction time under both normoxia and severe hypoxia, but cognitive improvements under hypoxia were attenuated in individuals exhibiting greater decreases in peripheral oxygen saturation.
Why the study?
Does moderate exercise under severe hypoxia alter cognitive function compared to rest or normoxic exercise in human participants?
RCT (n=13)
Single-blind
Random order crossover
No
Does moderate exercise under severe hypoxia alter cognitive function compared to rest or normoxic exercise in human participants?
p-value: p=<0.001
Arterial desaturation during exercise under severe hypoxia attenuates the cognitive improvements typically seen with acute exercise.
Arterial desaturation may blunt exercise-related cognitive gains in hypoxia; leaves open the contribution of other physiological factors.
Acute exercise has been demonstrated to improve cognitive function. In contrast, severe hypoxia can impair cognitive function. Hence, cognitive function during exercise under severe hypoxia may be determined by the balance between the beneficial effects of exercise and the detrimental effects of severe hypoxia. However, the physiological factors that determine cognitive function during exercise under hypoxia remain unclear. Here, we examined the combined effects of acute exercise and severe hypoxia on cognitive function and identified physiological factors that determine cognitive function during exercise under severe hypoxia. The participants completed cognitive tasks at rest and during moderate exercise under either normoxic or severe hypoxic conditions. Peripheral oxygen saturation, cerebral oxygenation, and middle cerebral artery velocity were continuously monitored. Cerebral oxygen delivery was calculated as the product of estimated arterial oxygen content and cerebral blood flow. On average, cognitive performance improved during exercise under both normoxia and hypoxia, without sacrificing accuracy. However, under hypoxia, cognitive improvements were attenuated for individuals exhibiting a greater decrease in peripheral oxygen saturation. Cognitive performance was not associated with other physiological parameters. Taken together, the present results suggest that arterial desaturation attenuates cognitive improvements during exercise under hypoxia.
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Komiyama et al. (2017) conducted an RCT in Healthy (n=13). Moderate exercise under severe hypoxia vs. Rest and moderate exercise under normoxia was evaluated on Reaction time in the Go trial of the Go/No-Go task (p=<0.001). Moderate exercise decreased reaction time under both normoxia and severe hypoxia, but cognitive improvements under hypoxia were attenuated in individuals exhibiting greater decreases in peripheral oxygen saturation.
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