Executive functions and gait in sedentary versus frequently jogging adults: Evidence from a dual-task paradigm

Background Executive functions and gait are highly associated and can have positive spill-over effects. While there is some evidence that the type of sport and exercise-related skills can influence these crossover benefits of executive functions and gait, most studies have compared open-skill and closed-skill sports, emphasizing the benefits to open-skill sports which are highly adaptive and less predictable. Limited research has examined the unique cognitive and motor benefits of closed-skill sports, or more predictable forms of exercise with limited movement sets, such as jogging or swimming, particularly when compared to sedentary people. Methodology Therefore, the present study examined gait during executive functioning dual-task performance for inhibition, switching, and working memory domains with and without concurrent walking among N = 65 adults with either high rates of physical activity via closed-skill sports (i.e., jogging) or limited rates of physical activity (i.e., sedentary group). Results Overall, significant performance declines from the single- to dual-task were present in average accuracy and gait variability across the entire sample, with only subtle group differences in executive functions, favoring the joggers. Cognitive and motor dual-task costs (DTCs) were only descriptively and not significantly worse in the sedentary group. Interpretation Broad reductions from the single- to dual-task conditions revealed consistent cognitive-motor interference in the entire sample. Few differences between joggers and sedentary adults likely support the age-stabilization of cognitive-motor skills in young adulthood.