The effect of a high intensity exercise load on cerebral activity

: a study in resting and using simple reaction conditions

Abstract

  We examined the beta band patterns in an electroencephalogram, which reflects the cortical activity and information processing, during rest (Control Task: CT) and a simple reaction task (SRT) before and after a brief period of high-intensity exercise.

  Twelve healthy male subjects were 6 healthy men. All participants performed an all-out running task for a brief period. The CT consisted of gazing at a fixed point for 5 minutes. The SRT was performed using a visual stimulus of a 6 points star. The electroencephalogram, recorded from the scalp for 128 channels, was filtered through 3-30 Hz bandpass, fast Fourier transform (FFT)-processed, and separated into the beta 1 and beta 2 bands. The reaction time and distribution of both bands measured on each electrode were compared for values before and after the exercise.

  For the CT, the post-exercise distribution of the beta 1 band increased in all cortical regions, while that of the beta 2 band increased in the posterior temporal and visual regions. For the SRT, the post-exercise reaction time was higher than the pre-exercise value and the post-exercise distribution of the beta 1 band increased in the left temporal region.

  These results suggest that all regions of the cerebral cortex in CT are activated by high-intensity exercise for a brief period. Our results indicate that the beta 1 band activity reflects information processing in the cerebral cortex and that in the SRT the left temporal region was activated by a brief period of high-intensity exercise.