Effect of acute aerobic exercise on the executive functions of college students : role of sex.

Abstract

The present study investigates whether biological sex moderates the effect of acute aerobic exercise on executive functions (EF). Healthy college students (n = 104) from the American University of Beirut (AUB) performed the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Color-Word Interference Test which is based on the Stroop Test, prior to and fifteen minutes after either an acute bout of aerobic exercise (cycling) that consisted of a 5-minute warm up, a 20-minute moderate intensity exercise (50-59percent HRR), and a 5-minute cool-down (treatment group), or a 30-minute reading session (control group). Results: There was no significant group x time x sex interaction. Only a significant group x time interaction was found, where the exercise group performed significantly better, in comparison to the control group, on the posttest (after exercise) compared to the pretest (before exercise), equally for both females and males. Discussion: Inhibition, an aspect of executive functioning, improved after an acute bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise and females and males were similarly sensitive to the exercise manipulation. Implications for the present findings are discussed.