The effect of physical activity and aerobic exercise on reaction time

Introduction: Regular physical activity and aerobic exercise at a certain intensity have an important role in the execution of the cognitive functions of the brain, as well as many health benefits. Information processing speed which is an indicator of cognitive functions, can be evaluated by measuring visual (VRT) and auditory (ART) reaction times. The basic aim of this study is; To evaluate the effects of physical activity and aerobic exercise on cognitive functions by measuring visual and auditory reaction times. The second aim of the study; To evaluate the effects of exercise on conditions such as depression, sleep quality and fatigue. Material and methods: This study was planned as a prospective randomized controlled trial. Between July 15, 2020 and October 15, 2020, 61 healthy individuals between the ages of 20-55 who met the inclusion criteria were accepted into the study. Individuals were divided into two groups with the simple randomization method, 30 as physical activity and aerobic exercise group (EG) and 31 as control group (CG). Individuals in EG; An exercise program was given at a rate of 100 steps / minute for 3 weeks, 7 thousand steps a day, at least 5 days a week. Individuals in CG were not given any exercise program for 3 weeks. The VRT and ART values, depression level, sleep quality and fatigue using questionnaires adapted from Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) of the participants in EG and CG were evaluated twice with three-week intervals. Comparison was made within and between groups. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, BMI, education level, dominant hand and exercise level. In the analysis within the group; While a statistically significant decrease was observed in VRT (p <0.001) and ART (p = 0.001) in EG, no statistically significant decrease was observed in VRT (p = 0.399) and ART (p = 0.570) in CG. When the difference between two measurement times is calculated and analyzed in the analysis between groups; The amount of change observed in VRT (p = 0.018) and ART (p = 0.027), BDI (p = 0.001), PSQI (p <0.001) and FSS (p <0.001) scores was significantly higher in EG than in CG. Conclusion: The decrease observed in VRT and ART values between measurements in the EG was greater than the CG. Accordingly, aerobic exercise has a positive effect on reaction time which is an indicator of cognitive functions. In addition to aerobic exercise; It also has positive effects on parameters such as depressive mood, sleep quality and fatigue level.