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Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Acute High-Intensity Exercise Effects on Brain and Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Sponsor: Colby-Sawyer College
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a single session of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIT) affects cognitive performance and brain activity in older adults, and whether cardiorespiratory fitness influences these effects. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does a single HIIT session change performance on a task-switching test of cognitive flexibility? * Does a single HIIT session change prefrontal brain activity during cognitive testing, as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)? * Do older adults with higher cardiorespiratory fitness show greater cognitive and brain changes in response to HIIT than those with lower fitness? Participants will: * Visit the laboratory on two separate days * Complete a sub-maximal graded exercise test during the first visit to measure cardiorespiratory fitness * Complete a single \~30-minute HIIT cycling session during the second visit * Complete a task-switching cognitive test before and after the HIIT session * Have their brain activity monitored with fNIRS while completing the cognitive tests
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
55 Years - 79 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
50
Start Date
2026-08-01
Completion Date
2028-08-01
Last Updated
2026-07-27
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Interventions
High-Intensity Interval Training
A single session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) performed on a cycle ergometer, consisting of 4 bouts of 4 minutes of high-intensity cycling separated by 3 minutes of passive or light active recovery (total exercise session approximately 30 minutes, excluding warm-up and cool-down). High exercise intensity is individually prescribed and controlled at approximately 85-90% of each participant's maximal power output and maximal heart rate, both estimated from a submaximal graded exercise test (American College of Sports Medicine submaximal cycle ergometer protocol) completed during a prior laboratory visit. During the recovery intervals, participants cycle at a light workload (30-50% of maximum power output). Participants are asked to maintain a cadence of approximately 50-60 revolutions per minute throughout. Heart rate, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and cadence are monitored and recorded every minute during the session by a trained study team member.
Locations (1)
Colby-Sawyer College
New London, New Hampshire, United States