Objectives: Investigate and identify the relationship between physical exercise and cognitive performance measured by using different cognitive tests taken from Cambridge Brain Science (CBS). Methods: Thirty subjects, divided into two groups (aerobic and effort), undergo twelve cognitive tests from CBS. A comparison between the pre- and post-exercise results in terms of cognitive performance differences is carried out. Regression analysis between Heart Rate Variability (HRV) features and CBS tests results is performed. Results: In most CBS tests, there is an improvement, or at least a confirmation, of the subject's cognitive ability, for both groups. Reasoning (80–100%), concentration (80–87%), and planning tests (93–100%) seem to undergo critical positive changes. The regression analysis, performed by using a set of different algorithms, has demonstrated that it is possible, by monitoring the HRV during the exercise, to predict to some extent the cognitive performance, i.e., the CBS tests results. The best performing regression algorithms are Simple Linear (Quade Test—aerobic group: 2.098, effort group: 3.350, both groups: 2.747) and REPTree (Quade Test—aerobic group: 2.955, effort group: 3.315, both groups: 3.121). The statistical analysis has proved that physical activity is statistically useful for the subjects in improving their cognitive performance. Conclusions: This study has numerically appraised the improvement, the conservation, or the worsening on different aspects of cognition. The found mathematical relationship between physical exercise and cognitive performance suggests that it is possible to predict the beneficial effect of various exercises on executive and attentive control.

中文翻译：

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体育锻炼对认知的影响：心率变异如何预测认知表现

目标：通过使用来自剑桥脑科学 (CBS) 的不同认知测试，调查并确定体育锻炼与认知能力之间的关系。方法：三十名受试者，分为两组（有氧和努力），接受 CBS 的十二项认知测试。进行了在认知表现差异方面的运动前和运动后结果之间的比较。执行心率变异性 (HRV) 特征和 CBS 测试结果之间的回归分析。结果：在大多数 CBS 测试中，两组受试者的认知能力都有所提高，或至少得到证实。推理 (80–100%)、注意力 (80–87%) 和计划测试 (93–100%) 似乎发生了关键的积极变化。通过使用一组不同的算法执行的回归分析，已经证明，通过在锻炼期间监测 HRV，可以在一定程度上预测认知表现，即 CBS 测试结果。性能最好的回归算法是 Simple Linear（Quade 测试——有氧组：2.098，努力组：3.350，两组：2.747）和 REPTree（Quade 测试——有氧组：2.955，努力组：3.315，两组：3.121）。统计分析证明，体育锻炼对受试者提高认知能力具有统计学意义。结论：本研究对认知的不同方面的改善、保守或恶化进行了数值评价。