Executive function entails the core components of response inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility. An accumulating literature has shown that a single bout of exercise improves the response inhibition and working memory components of executive function; however, limited work has examined a putative exercise-related improvement to cognitive flexibility. To address this limitation, Experiment 1 entailed a 20-min session of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (via cycle ergometer), and pre- and post-exercise cognitive flexibility was examined via a task-switching paradigm involving alternating pro- and antisaccades (AABB: A = prosaccade, B = antisaccade). In Experiment 2, participants sat on the cycle ergometer without exercising (i.e., rest break) and the same AABB paradigm was examined pre- and post-break. We used an AABB pro- and antisaccade paradigm because previous work has shown that a prosaccade preceded by an antisaccade exhibits a reliable—and large magnitude—increase in reaction time, whereas the converse switch does not (i.e., the unidirectional prosaccade switch-cost). Experiment 1 showed a unidirectional prosaccade switch-cost pre-exercise (p = .012)—but not post-exercise (p = .30), and a two one-sided t test indicated that the latter comparison was within an equivalence boundary (p < .01). In contrast, Experiment 2 revealed a unidirectional prosaccade switch-cost at pre- and post-break assessments (ps < .01). Accordingly, our results indicate that a single bout of exercise improves cognitive flexibility and provides convergent evidence that exercise improves global components of executive function.

执行功能包含反应抑制、工作记忆和认知灵活性的核心组成部分。越来越多的文献表明，单次锻炼可以改善执行功能的反应抑制和工作记忆成分；然而，有限的工作已经检验了假定的与运动相关的认知灵活性改善。为了解决这一限制，实验 1 需要进行 20 分钟的中等强度有氧运动（通过自行车测力计），并通过涉及交替前扫视和反扫视的任务切换范式检查运动前和运动后的认知灵活性（AABB： A = 前眼跳，B = 反眼跳）。在实验 2 中，参与者坐在自行车测力计上，没有锻炼（即休息时间），并且在休息前和休息后检查相同的 AABB 范式。我们使用 AABB 前眼跳和反眼跳范式，因为之前的研究表明，前眼跳之前的反眼跳表现出可靠且大幅度的反应时间增加，而反向切换则不然（即，单向前眼跳切换-成本） 。实验 1 显示了运动前的单向运动转换成本 ( p  = .012)，但运动后则不然 ( p  = .30)，并且两个单侧t检验表明后一种比较在等价边界内 ( p  < .01)。相比之下，实验 2 显示了休息前和休息后评估时的单向步跳转换成本 (ps < .01)。因此，我们的结果表明，单次锻炼可以提高认知灵活性，并提供一致的证据表明锻炼可以改善执行功能的整体组成部分。