A single 1,500 m freestyle at maximal speed decreases cognitive function in athletes

Zhijie Lai; Weiwei Huang; Wentao Lin; Xiquan Weng; Yuheng Mao; Guoqin Xu

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1283585

A single 1,500 m freestyle at maximal speed decreases cognitive function in athletes

Front Psychol. 2023 Dec 6:14:1283585. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1283585. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zhijie Lai^{1

2}, Weiwei Huang^#³, Wentao Lin^{4

5}, Xiquan Weng⁵, Yuheng Mao⁵, Guoqin Xu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Graduation, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China.
² Department of School of Physical Education, Guangzhou College of Commerce, Guangzhou, China.
³ Department of Physical Education, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ Department of School of Physical Education, Zhuhai College of Science and Technology, Zhuhai, China.
⁵ Department of Sports and Health, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: Physical exercise can improve cognitive function, and the degree of impact on cognitive function is related to exercise modality, intensity, and duration. However, few studies have been conducted on the effects of competitive sports on cognitive function. The 1,500 m freestyle is the longest pool-based swimming event in the Olympic Games. This study explores the effects of 1,500 m freestyle at maximal speed on athletes' cognitive function and analyzes the potential mechanism of cognitive function reduction in freestyle at maximal speed from the perspective of hemoglobin oxygenation difference (Hbdiff).

Methods: A total of 13 male university swimmers were required to take part in a 1,500 m freestyle competition, swimming at maximal speed. The relevant indicators, including cognitive function and freestyle at maximal speed, before and after the competition were tested and analyzed. Cognitive function was assessed using the Schulte grid test (SGT), the trail-making test (TMT), and the digit span test (DST). The neurobiological characteristics of cognitive function, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), response time (RT), and accuracy rate (ACC), were tested using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Results: A significant decrease in scores for SGT, TMT, and digit span test-backward (DST-B) (p < 0.01). Oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) concentrations in the right frontopolar area (R-FPA) of brain channels 8 (p < 0.01) and 9 (CH8, 9) (p < 0.05), the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R-DLPFC) CH10 (p < 0.05), and the middle dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (M-DLPFC) CH18 (p < 0.01) were significantly altered, and the right area of the brain was activated. The total Oxy-Hb concentrations in the regions of interest (ROIs) of R-FPA, R-DLFPC, and M-DLFPC were changed significantly (p < 0.01).

Discussion: The exhaustive performance of a 1,500 m freestyle event resulted in both physical fatigue and a decline in cognitive function. This decline may be attributed to the activation of specific regions of interest, namely the FPA, DLPFC, and M-DLPFC, within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as alterations in functional connectivity.

Keywords: 1,500 m freestyle; DST; SGT; TMT; cognitive function; fNIRS; maximal speed.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by the Characteristic Innovation Projects of Ordinary Colleges and Universities of Guangdong, China, grant number No. 2020KTSCX065.