Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Motor Activity Research Center (CRAM) University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jan 31;17(3):898. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17030898.
The present study examined the effects of an exhaustive exercise on executive functions by using the Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT), Trail Making Test (TMT), A and B, and simple Reaction Time (RT). Thirty adults agreed to participate; 15 participants had a mean age of 24.7 years ± 3.2 Standard Deviation (SD, Standard Deviation) (group YOUNG), while the remaining 15 had a mean age of 58.9 years ± 2.6 SD (group OLD). Each subject performed the cognitive tasks at rest and blood lactate was measured (pre); each subject executed the acute exhaustive exercise and, immediately after the conclusion, executed the cognitive tasks and blood lactate was again measured (end). Cognitive tests were repeated and blood lactate measured 15 min after its conclusion of the exhaustive exercise (post). We observed: (1) a significant positive correlation between blood lactate levels and RT levels; (2) a significant negative relationship between levels of blood lactate and the SCWT mean score; (3) no significant correlation between blood lactate levels and TMT scores (time and errors), both A and B; (4) variations in blood lactate levels, due to exhaustive exercise, and parallel deterioration in the execution of RT and SCWT are significantly more pronounced in the group YOUNG than in the group OLD. The present study supports the possibility that high levels of blood lactate induced by an exhaustive exercise could adversely affect the executive functions pertaining to the prefrontal cortex.
本研究通过使用斯特鲁普颜色-文字测试（Stroop Color Word Test，SCWT）、连线测试（Trail Making Test，TMT）A 和 B 以及简单反应时（Simple Reaction Time，RT），考察了一次耗竭性运动对执行功能的影响。30 名成年人同意参与；15 名参与者的平均年龄为 24.7 岁±3.2 标准差（SD）（年轻组 YOUNG），而其余 15 名参与者的平均年龄为 58.9 岁±2.6 SD（老年组 OLD）。每个受试者在休息时进行认知任务，测量血乳酸（预）；每个受试者执行急性耗竭性运动，运动结束后立即执行认知任务并再次测量血乳酸（终）。认知测试重复进行，运动结束后 15 分钟再次测量血乳酸（后）。我们观察到：（1）血乳酸水平与 RT 水平呈显著正相关；（2）血乳酸水平与 SCWT 平均分数呈显著负相关；（3）血乳酸水平与 TMT 分数（时间和错误）均无显著相关性，A 和 B 两组均如此；（4）由于耗竭性运动导致的血乳酸水平变化以及 RT 和 SCWT 执行能力的平行恶化，在年轻组中比在老年组中更为明显。本研究支持这样一种可能性，即一次耗竭性运动引起的高血乳酸水平可能对涉及前额叶皮层的执行功能产生不利影响。
