Acute exercise facilitates brain function and cognition in children who need it most: An ERP study of individual differences in inhibitory control capacity
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The present study examined the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on aspects of cognitive control in two groups of children categorized by higher- and lower-task performance. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were collected in 40 preadolescent children during a modified flanker task following 20 min of treadmill walking and seated rest on separate occasions. Participants were bifurcated into two groups based on task performance following the resting session. Findings revealed that following exercise, higher-performers maintained accuracy and exhibited no change in P3 amplitude compared to seated rest. Lower-performers demonstrated a differential effect, such that accuracy measures improved, and P3 amplitude increased following exercise. Lastly, both groups displayed smaller N2 amplitude and shorter P3 latency following exercise, suggesting an overall facilitation in response conflict and the speed of stimulus classification. The current findings replicate prior research reporting the beneficial influence of acute aerobic exercise on cognitive performance in children. However, children with lower inhibitory control capacity may benefit the most from single bouts of exercise. These data are among the first to demonstrate the differential effect of physical activity on individuals who vary in inhibitory control, and further support the role of aerobic exercise for brain health during development.
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The effects largely depend on different moderators, such as outcome measure, duration or effects were only found in a subgroup.
“The effects largely depend on different moderators, such as outcome measure, 40,41,45,49 duration 46 or effects were only found in a subgroup.39,41,44”
From Effects of physical activity on executive functions, attention and academic performance in preadolescent children: a meta-analysis (2018) · cites this paper as [41]
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- Authors
- Drollette, E. S., Scudder, M. R., Raine, L. B., Moore, R. D., Saliba, B. J., Pontifex, M. B., & Hillman, C. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Michigan State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hillman, Charles H.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-01
- Volume
- 7
- Pages
- 53-64
- ISSN
- 1878-9293 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC6987893
- OpenAlex
- W2015727800
- Cited by
- 298
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 9.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD055352)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- acute aerobic exercise, inhibitory control, cognitive control, children, preadolescents, individual differences, flanker task, P300 amplitude, event-related potentials, response conflict, treadmill walking, cognitive performance
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Calorimetry, Indirect, Child, Cognition, Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, Female, Humans, Individuality, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Oxygen Consumption, Reaction Time, Task Performance and Analysis, Exercise
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