The Effects of Badminton Exercise Program on Concentration, Brain Stress, and Brain Activity in Male University Students

The purpose of this study aimed to investigate the effects of an 8-week badminton exercise program on concentration, brain stress, and brain activity levels in male university students. A total of 30 male students enrolled at University were recruited and assigned to either an exercise group(n=15) or a control group(n=15). The badminton program was conducted twice a week for 60 minutes per session over 8 weeks. Brainwave activity was measured before and after the intervention using the Omnifit Brain system(Laxtha, Korea), focusing on three indicators: concentration, brain stress and brain activity level. The results showed a statistically significant increase of 27.32% in concentration(p＜.01) and an 18.29% decrease in brain stress(p＜.001) in the exercise group, whereas the control group exhibited no significant changes. Although no statistically significant differences were observed in brain activity levels, a positive trend was noted in both groups. These findings suggest that regular badminton exercise may enhance cognitive focus and reduce mental stress in male university students. Furthermore, the application of EEG-based physiological indicators demonstrates the potential for objective assessment of exercise-induced neurophysiological changes.