Positive Mood while Exercising Influences Beneficial Effects of Exercise with Music on Prefrontal Executive Function: A Functional NIRS Study

Kazuya Suwabe; Kazuki Hyodo; Takemune Fukuie; Genta Ochi; Kazuki Inagaki; Yosuke Sakairi; Hideaki Soya

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.007

Positive Mood while Exercising Influences Beneficial Effects of Exercise with Music on Prefrontal Executive Function: A Functional NIRS Study

Neuroscience. 2021 Feb 1:454:61-71. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.007. Epub 2020 Jun 14.

Authors

Kazuya Suwabe¹, Kazuki Hyodo², Takemune Fukuie³, Genta Ochi³, Kazuki Inagaki⁴, Yosuke Sakairi⁵, Hideaki Soya⁶

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Ryutsu Keizai University, Ibaraki 301-8555, Japan.
² Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Ryutsu Keizai University, Ibaraki 301-8555, Japan; Physical Fitness Research Institute, Meiji Yasuda Life Foundation of Health and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan.
⁴ Laboratory of Sports Psychology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba , Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane QLD 4072, Australia.
⁵ Laboratory of Sports Psychology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba , Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan.
⁶ Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan; Sport Neuroscience Division, Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP), Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan. Electronic address: soya.hideaki.gt@u.tsukuba.ac.jp.

PMID: 32554109
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.007

Abstract

Much attention has been focused on physical exercise benefits to mental health such as mood and cognitive function. Our recent studies have consistently shown that a single bout of exercise elicits increased task-related brain activation mainly in the dorsolateral part of the prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which results in improved executive performance. As the DLPFC is associated with the modulation of mood as well as executive function, it is tempting to hypothesize that exercising while in a positive mood would facilitate the beneficial effects of exercise on executive function via DLPFC activation. Thus, we conceived an experiment that used music to elicit a positive mood during exercise. Thirty-three young adults performed ten minutes of moderate-intensity (50% V.O₂peak) pedaling exercise with two experimental conditions: listening to music and listening to beeps at a steady tempo. Mood and executive function were respectively assessed using the Two-Dimensional Mood Scale and a color-word-matching Stroop task before and after the exercise sessions. Prefrontal activation during the Stroop task was monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Exercise with music elicited greater enhancement of a positive mood (vitality) than did exercise with beeps. Contrary to our hypothesis, there were no significant differences between conditions in improvement in Stroop task performance and task-related cortical activation in the left-DLPFC. The correlation analyses, however, revealed significant correlations among increased vitality, shortened Stroop interference time and increased activation in the left-DLPFC. These results support the hypothesis that positive mood while exercising influences the benefit of exercise on prefrontal activation and executive performance.

Keywords: executive function; functional near infrared spectroscopy; mood; music; physical exercise; prefrontal cortex.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Executive Function*
Exercise
Humans
Music*
Prefrontal Cortex
Stroop Test
Young Adult