Dupuy Olivier, Bosquet Laurent, Fraser Sarah Anne, Labelle Véronique, Bherer Louis
Laboratory MOVE (EA 6314), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France; Laboratory LESCA, Research Center of Geriatric Institute of University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada.
Laboratory MOVE (EA 6314), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France; Laboratory LESCA, Research Center of Geriatric Institute of University of Montreal, Montreal, Qc, Canada.
Brain Cogn. 2018 Aug;125:127-134. doi: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.06.003. Epub 2018 Jun 30.
INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: This study compared cognitive performances and cardiac autonomic measures of higher fit and lower fit middle-aged and older highly active adults. The working hypotheses were that higher fit (master athletes) would show cognitive benefits in executive control conditions due to a high level of fitness compared to lower fit people and that this effect would be mediated by better cardiac autonomic adaptations in athletes.
We recruited 39 highly active middle aged and older adults from Master Athletes' organizations. All participants performed a Rockport walking test and a computerized dual-task. Cardiac autonomic control was assessed with a measure of heart rate variability. Based on the V̇O estimated by the Rockport test, a median split was performed to assess the influence of fitness level on cognitive performance and the link with heart rate variability. Those with the highest fitness level were considered Master Athletes.
Master Athletes showed better dual-task performances than lower fit individuals. A positive relationship between the V̇O and dual-task performances was also observed. Master Athletes demonstrated a lower resting HR and higher RR interval than lower fit individuals, and this index was specifically related to the executive conditions of the dual task.
Our results highlight the role of fitness level on executive function in highly active middle aged and older adults and suggest that the better performances observed in highly fit individuals is mediated by cardiac autonomic control.
引言/目的：本研究比较了身体状况较好和较差的中老年人中高运动量成年人的认知表现和心脏自主神经指标。研究的假设是，与身体状况较差的人相比，身体状况较好的（大师级运动员）在执行控制条件下会因高水平的体能而表现出认知优势，并且这种效应将由运动员更好的心脏自主神经适应性介导。
我们从大师级运动员组织中招募了39名中老年人作为高运动量成年人。所有参与者都进行了罗克波特步行测试和计算机化双任务测试。通过心率变异性测量来评估心脏自主神经控制。根据罗克波特测试估算的摄氧量，进行中位数分割，以评估体能水平对认知表现的影响以及与心率变异性的联系。体能水平最高的那些人被视为大师级运动员。
大师级运动员在双任务表现上比身体状况较差的个体更好。还观察到摄氧量与双任务表现之间存在正相关关系。大师级运动员的静息心率较低，RR间期较高，且该指标与双任务的执行条件具体相关。
我们的结果突出了体能水平在高运动量中老年人执行功能中的作用，并表明在体能较好的个体中观察到的更好表现是由心脏自主神经控制介导的。
