Presentation description

Previous research has demonstrated that physical exercise is beneficial for cognitive functioning. In this pilot study, we examine the specific effects of a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise intervention on the learning of a movement sequence and its subsequent consolidation into long-term memory. Young (18-35 years old), apparently healthy adults will perform a bimanual serial reaction time task following a bout of high intensity cycling (exercise intervention) or a period of rest (control). The exercise intervention consists of alternating intervals of high (90-95% max HR) and low (50-75% max HR) intensity exercise on a stationary bike (17 minutes in total). Approximately 24 hours after the first session, participants were retested on the motor learning task, affording the assessment of motor memory consolidation.||We hypothesize that the exercise intervention, as compared to the control condition, will enhance the acquisition and consolidation of the motor sequence. Besides contributing to the narrow selection of existing literature on this specific intervention and motor learning and memory consolidation, the results of this study will provide the foundation for future research that will examine the specific neural mechanisms underlying the positive effects of exercise on learning and memory. And we will extend this research to an aging population by assessing whether exercise is a viable option to minimize aging-related impairments in learning and memory.