Acute Aerobic Exercise Intensity on Working Memory and Vigilance After Nap Deprivation: Effects of Low-Intensity Deserve Attention

Background: Napping deprivation in habitual nappers leads to cognitive impairment. The ameliorative effect of acute aerobic exercise has been demonstrated for this post-cognitive impairment. However, it is still unclear which intensity of aerobic exercise is the most effective and how long this improvement can be sustained.
Methods: Fifty-eight healthy adults with a chronic napping habit were randomly assigned to four intervention groups after undergoing nap deprivation: a sedentary control group, a low-intensity exercise group (50– 59% maximum heart rate, HR_max), a moderate-intensity exercise group (60– 69% HR_max), and a high-intensity exercise group (70– 79% HR_max). Working memory (N-back task), vigilance (Psychomotor Vigilance Task, PVT), and response inhibitory capacity (Go/NoGo task) were measured.
Results: Regression analyses showed a quadratic trend between exercise intensity and working memory reaction time and accuracy (F =3.297– 5.769, p < 0.05, R² =10.7– 18.9%). The effects of exercise were optimal at low-intensity. There was a significant quadratic trend between exercise intensity and PVT lapse (F =4.314, p =0.042, R² =7.2%). The effect of exercise increased with higher intensity. Prolonged observation found that the effect of low-intensity exercise on working memory was maintained for 2 hours.
Conclusion: The effect of low-intensity exercise might be underestimated. Low-intensity exercise significantly improved working memory performance, and the effects could be maintained throughout the afternoon. In contrast, the effects of high-intensity exercise were unlikely to be maintained and might even have negative effects. Future researchers can broaden the categories of participants to enhance the external validity and collect diverse physiological indicators to explore related physiological mechanisms.