This study aimed to investigate the effects of exercise on pupil dynamics, prefrontal haemodynamic, and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) responses in 45 healthy graduate students. These participants were divided into two groups: a resting control group (CTL) and a very-light-intensity exercise group (EX). Participants in the EX-group engaged in a 10-min exercise at 30% O2 peak on a cycle ergometer. Salivary samples and pupillometry assessments were collected before the exercise, at the end of the exercise, and 5 min after the completion to evaluate changes over time. Our analysis showed that exercise induced significant changes in the secretion of salivary alpha-amylase, with elevated levels suggesting increased neuroendocrine activity linked to the arousal state triggered by exercise. In addition, functional oxyHb signals indicated greater fluctuations in the mid-left prefrontal cortex among participants in the EX-group compared to those in the CTL group, pointing to altered prefrontal haemodynamic.
Keywords: Cognitive performance; Color-Word-Interference-Test; Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS); Pupillometry; Stroop test.
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