Immediate and Cumulative Effects of Short-Duration Moderate-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Executive Function in Healthy Young Adults

Background Executive function, also known as cognitive control, is crucial for daily activities, and decline in executive function is a typical symptom of vascular cognitive impairment. This study investigates the immediate and cumulative effects of short-duration, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (MIAE) on executive function in healthy young adults, aiming to identify an effective exercise regimen. Methods This prospective, non-randomized, interventional trial with a self-controlled pre-post design assessed the reduction in time taken for the Stroop-100 color-word task after 3 weeks of regular exercise. Participants underwent 3 weeks of aerobic exercise (AE), 20 minutes per session at 50% reserve heart rate. Reaction time was assessed immediately before and after each session. Cardiopulmonary endurance and cognitive function were retested after training. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS26.0, with paired t-tests and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results From April 1, 2024, to August 1, 2024, 36 healthy young adults were recruited in Beijing Hospital. After 2-minute step test, the Stroop-100-A reading time decreased from 38.90 ± 7.40 seconds to 36.12 ± 6.38 seconds, the Stroop-100-C time decreased from 81.51 ± 20.02 seconds to 71.88 ± 14.73 seconds, and the sequential reaction time decreased from 0.26 ± 0.06 seconds to 0.23 ± 0.04 seconds. After 3 weeks of MIAE, the Stroop-100-A reading time decreased from 37.80 ± 3.09 seconds to 33.18 ± 4.00 seconds, and the Stroop-100-C time decreased from 82.37 ± 9.08 seconds to 69.19 ± 7.17 seconds. The random reaction time decreased from 0.41 ± 0.04 seconds to 0.39 ± 0.03 seconds after the first 2-minute step test, decreased from 0.39 ± 0.03 seconds to 0.37 ± 0.04 seconds after the first 20-minute MIAE, then gradually decreased to 0.33 ± 0.03 seconds (“high-level baseline”) after the sixth 20-minute MIAE and fluctuate around this “high-level baseline” before and after each exercise session. Conclusions Short-term AE (2-minute stepping, 20-minute MIAE) improves executive function, with significant effects immediately after exercise. This effect is cumulative, reaching a “high-level” after 3 weeks of regular exercise, which can be maintained by continued regular exercise. Clinical Trials Registration The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on March 19,2024, with the registration number ChiCTR2400082027. The first patient was enrolled on April 1,2024.