A study of the effects of high-intensity interval training and aerobic training on executive function in college students

Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity cardio-training (MICT) on the executive function of non-athletic college students by combining event-related potentials (ERP) and physiological indexes (heart rate, oxygen saturation), with the aim of providing an objective basis and a practical guide for the college students to choose a more scientific and efficient exercise mode. The study was conducted with 34 non-physical education college students from Shenyang Institute of Physical Education, and the Flanker task, 2-back task and More-odd shifting task were used as the measurement tools. The executive function levels of college students were measured after moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training interventions. The results found that the two exercise modalities had a significant increase in the behavioral outcomes for the response time of the refreshing, inhibitory and switching functions, but the effect was not significant on the correctness of the intervention. Conclusion: Both moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and high-intensity interval training have positive effects on executive functions of college students.