The Effect Of Collaboration On Exercise-induced Change In Cognitive Performance

PURPOSE: Although the current research explores the favorable effects of single exercise sessions on cognition, a significant gap exists in the literature regarding whether collaboration can be a viable form of cognitive engagement to maximize exercise-induced cognitive gains. The study aims to compare the acute effect of collaborative with non-collaborative exercise on subsequent cognitive performance. METHODS: Sixty-two (Mage = 20.35, 36 females) adults were recruited to form 31 sex-and performance-matched pairs. Using a within-subject design, each pair completed a 15-minute collaborative high-intensity interval training (C-HIIT) and a 15-minute HIIT session on two separate counterbalanced days. Following each session, each pair completed a visual search task that required the identification of varying numbers (0, 1, 2) of targets under two counterbalanced testing conditions in which participants performed the task collaboratively (CO) and individually (NC). RESULTS: The analysis of cognitive performance measures unveiled significant main effects of the trial on reaction time (F (2, 60) = 90.05, p < .001) and on inverse efficiency (F (2, 60) = 52.51, p < .001), showing that participants exhibited quicker response times and improved efficiency in identifying two targets as opposed to zero (p < .001) or one target (p < .001). Also, a significant interaction between test conditions and trial type on accuracy was detected (F (2, 60) = 21.59, p < .001), indicating that the participants displayed higher accuracy in the CO test condition while searching for one (p = .019) or two (p < .001) targets compared to the NC test condition. No significant effect involving the difference in cognitive measures between exercise conditions was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that adding a collaborative process to HIIT does not result in additional cognitive gains. However, the lack of notable change may potentially be attributed to the methodology employed for integrating and measuring collaboration, which might not have been sufficiently effective or engaging to prompt measurable changes in cognitive performance. This suggests a need for further exploration or refinement in the approach used to assess collaborative aspects within the HIIT framework to ascertain their potential impact on cognitive performance.