The response of reaction time and fatigability to exhaustive exercise in young male

The post-exercise effect on cognitive function is associated with exercise intensity, duration, and psychological and physiological factors. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of exhaustive exercise on cognitive function and the differences in psychological and physiological parameters between positive and negative responders to exercise. Seventeen young males performed an exhaustive incremental submaximal exercise task. Reaction time in the incongruent Stroop task, salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels, and visual analogue scale scores for fatigue were evaluated. Participants were divided into 2 groups: slower group, which exhibited an increase in reaction time; and faster group, which exhibited a decrease in reaction time after the exercise. There were no differences in changes in the salivary cortisol and SIgA level between the slower and faster groups. The slower group exhibited a greater increase in fatigue than the faster group. The increase in fatigue score was positively correlated with the changes in reaction time. Results of this study demonstrated that the excessive increase in fatigue after exhaustive exercise delays cognitive response time. Findings suggest that the individual differences in perceived fatigability, rather than physiological responses, may be modulated to alter cognitive performance after exhaustive exercise.