The complex associations between adiposity, fitness, mental wellbeing and neurocognitive function after exercise: A randomized crossover trial in preadolescent children

Nicole E Logan; Nicole Occidental; Jennifer N H Watrous; Katherine M Lloyd; Lauren B Raine; Arthur F Kramer; Charles H Hillman

doi:10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.11.004

The complex associations between adiposity, fitness, mental wellbeing and neurocognitive function after exercise: A randomized crossover trial in preadolescent children

Prog Brain Res. 2024:283:123-165. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.11.004. Epub 2023 Dec 19.

Authors

Nicole E Logan¹, Nicole Occidental², Jennifer N H Watrous³, Katherine M Lloyd², Lauren B Raine⁴, Arthur F Kramer⁵, Charles H Hillman⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Kinesiology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States; George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States. Electronic address: nicolelogan@uri.edu.
² Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.
³ Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States.
⁴ Department of Physical Therapy, Movement & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Medical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States; Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, United States.
⁶ Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Physical Therapy, Movement & Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States.

PMID: 38538186
DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2023.11.004

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the associations of adiposity and fitness on the preadolescent brain's response to acute exercise. In a sample of 58 children (ages 8-10; 19 females), demographic measures of age, sex, IQ, puberty, and socioeconomic status were considered. Children participated in a randomized crossover study, whereby they completed two different interventions; seated rest or treadmill walking, counterbalanced across participants. Associations between adiposity measures (standardized body mass index [BMI-Z], whole body percent fat [%Fat], visceral adipose tissue [VAT]), cardiorespiratory fitness measures (VO₂max and Fat-Free VO₂) were assessed on self-reported measures of mental wellbeing, and cognitive performance (response accuracy, reaction time) and neuroelectric (P3 amplitude and latency) indices of a Go/NoGo task following both exercise and rest interventions. Higher adiposity (whole-body percent fat, BMI-Z) was associated with higher trait anxiety (P's≤0.05) and disordered eating (P's≤0.05) scores. Higher fitness (VO₂max) was associated with lower childhood depression scores (P=0.02). Regression analyses yielded specific post-exercise neurocognitive associations with adiposity-related (VAT, BMI-Z), and fitness-related (FF-VO₂) outcomes, after controlling for post-rest neurocognitive outcomes. VAT was positively associated with post-exercise P3 ERP Latency for the Go task (P≤0.001); BMI-Z was negatively associated with P3 ERP amplitudes for the Go task (P's≤0.005); FF-VO₂ was negatively associated with P3 ERP latency for the Go/NoGo task (P's≤0.05), and positively associated with NoGo task accuracy (P≤0.001). Overall, adiposity and fat-free fitness measures yield sensitive and differential associations with neurocognitive performance after exercise and after rest interventions.

Keywords: Brain function; Childhood; Cognition; EEG; Mental health; Obesity.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adiposity* / physiology
Body Mass Index
Child
Cross-Over Studies
Exercise / physiology
Female
Humans
Male
Obesity* / psychology