The impact of a two-hour endurance run on brain activity monitored over 24 h.

Abstract

Acute exercise has been shown to enhance cognitive abilities, particularly those governed by the prefrontal cortex, such as executive function. However, the effects of prolonged exercise on cognition and brain activity, especially over extended recovery periods, remain underexplored. This pilot study investigated the effects of two hours of moderate-intensity running on oscillatory brain activity and working memory performance, monitored across a 24-hour recovery period-an interval not previously studied. Using electroencephalography (EEG) and a 2-back task, resting-state brain activity and task-specific frontal theta power were assessed. While task accuracy and reaction times showed no significant changes, frontal theta power increased one hour post-exercise, reflecting heightened cognitive effort. Resting-state EEG demonstrated a sustained increase in high-alpha power, which persisted until the 24-hour mark and indicated cortical recovery processes. While limited by the lack of a control group, these findings suggest that prolonged moderate-intensity exercise may elicit complex and delayed neurophysiological responses, supporting recovery and neural resilience in trained individuals. Therefore, our research offers new insights into the interplay between exercise, cognition, and recovery, with implications for optimizing performance in physically demanding contexts.