The effect of incremental exercise on cognitive performance

Research examining the effect of incremental exercise on cognitive performance has claimed that increases in exercise intensity result in increases in arousal. An inverted-U effect of incremental exercise on cognitive function has been hypothesized. The majority of researchers have drawn upon unidimensional theories of arousal as the underlying rationale for the hypotheses. Some more recent papers, however, indicate that multidimensional, allocatable resource theories are better able to explain the effect of incremental exercise on cognitive performance. This paper examines the extent to which empirical research supports these theoretical underpinnings. It is concluded that incremental exercise has generally shown no significant effect on accuracy of cognitive performance. Cognitive effort can allocate resources to task relevant information, even during maximal exercise. Increases in speed of cognition, from rest, are thought to occur when individuals reach their plasma adrenaline threshold. Results, comparing speed of cognition at rest with those during heavy exercise, suggest that speed of performance on complex tasks is facilitated by increases in allocatable resources, while simple tasks are unaffected.