Investigating the Inverted-U Relationship Between Cognitive Performance and Plasma Epinephrine

NCT ID: NCT05407259

Last Updated: 2022-06-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-06-01
• Study Completion Date: 2023-12-31

Brief Summary

Abstract Although acute resistance exercise has been suggested to enhance inhibitory control, a critical component of executive function, the mechanism by which acute exercise influences inhibitory control is unclear and there are methodological limitations in previous empirical studies. According to the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) theory, the activity of the LC, the major releaser of NE in the brain, regulates inhibitory control. Because there is reciprocal communication between circulating epinephrine and the LC. Plasma epinephrine is chosen as the index of LC-NE activity. However, only one study in acute exercise-inhibitory control measured the plasma epinephrine. Therefore, this registered report aims to extend its findings by a four-arm crossover randomized controlled design with three different intensities, using free-weight, multiple-joint, and structural resistance exercises. Moreover, most studies showed some methodological limitations such as failing to report the process of randomization, implementing a familiarization of resistance exercise before the maximal strength test, and publishing the protocol. Without a transparent report on how the participants were allocated, the results were at risk of bias. Without a familiarization of resistance exercise, the maximal muscle strength was likely to be underestimated. Without publishing the protocol before data collection, these findings were threatened by undetected researchers' degrees of freedom such as HARKing (hypothesizing after the results are known), cherry picking, and p-hacking. This registered report will address the limitations of previous studies by incorporating cognitive and resistance exercise familiarization, transparently reporting the randomization process, and submitting it as a registered report.

Conditions

Healthy Young Adults

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Control condition

During the control condition, participants will be asked to read a book related to exercise for approximately 40 minutes.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Low-intensity barbell resistance exercise

Exercise: Barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift Number of sets: 3 Number of repetitions: 5 Intensity: 65% 1RM Training method: Circuit training (Squat set 1 ➔ Press set 1 ➔ Deadlift set 1 ➔ Squat set 2 ➔ Press set 2 ➔ Deadlift set 2 ➔ Squat set 3 ➔ Press set 3 ➔ Deadlift set 3) Rest interval between exercises and sets: \~3 minutes (Warm-up: 1 set of 5 repetitions for each exercise at 50% 1RM)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Resistance exercise

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

There will be four conditions (three exercises and one control) on visits 3-6. For the three exercise conditions, all training parameters except intensity will be the same. The sets in high, moderate, and low intensity correspond to the rate of perceived exertion (0-10 scale) 7-9, 5-6, and 3-4, respectively. Therefore, the participants will perform 5 repetitions barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift with 8RM (78% 1RM), 11RM (72% 1RM), and 16RM (65% 1RM) for 3 sets

Moderate-intensity barbell resistance exercise

Exercise: Barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift Number of sets: 3 Number of repetitions: 5 Intensity: 72% 1RM Training method: Circuit training (Squat set 1 ➔ Press set 1 ➔ Deadlift set 1 ➔ Squat set 2 ➔ Press set 2 ➔ Deadlift set 2 ➔ Squat set 3 ➔ Press set 3 ➔ Deadlift set 3) Rest interval between exercises and sets: \~3 minutes (Warm-up: 1 set of 5 repetitions for each exercise at 50% 1RM)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Resistance exercise

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

There will be four conditions (three exercises and one control) on visits 3-6. For the three exercise conditions, all training parameters except intensity will be the same. The sets in high, moderate, and low intensity correspond to the rate of perceived exertion (0-10 scale) 7-9, 5-6, and 3-4, respectively. Therefore, the participants will perform 5 repetitions barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift with 8RM (78% 1RM), 11RM (72% 1RM), and 16RM (65% 1RM) for 3 sets

High-intensity barbell resistance exercise

Exercise: Barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift Number of sets: 3 Number of repetitions: 5 Intensity: 78% 1RM Training method: Circuit training (Squat set 1 ➔ Press set 1 ➔ Deadlift set 1 ➔ Squat set 2 ➔ Press set 2 ➔ Deadlift set 2 ➔ Squat set 3 ➔ Press set 3 ➔ Deadlift set 3) Rest interval between exercises and sets: \~3 minutes (Warm-up: 1 set of 5 repetitions for each exercise at 50% 1RM)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Resistance exercise

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

There will be four conditions (three exercises and one control) on visits 3-6. For the three exercise conditions, all training parameters except intensity will be the same. The sets in high, moderate, and low intensity correspond to the rate of perceived exertion (0-10 scale) 7-9, 5-6, and 3-4, respectively. Therefore, the participants will perform 5 repetitions barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift with 8RM (78% 1RM), 11RM (72% 1RM), and 16RM (65% 1RM) for 3 sets

Interventions

Resistance exercise

There will be four conditions (three exercises and one control) on visits 3-6. For the three exercise conditions, all training parameters except intensity will be the same. The sets in high, moderate, and low intensity correspond to the rate of perceived exertion (0-10 scale) 7-9, 5-6, and 3-4, respectively. Therefore, the participants will perform 5 repetitions barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift with 8RM (78% 1RM), 11RM (72% 1RM), and 16RM (65% 1RM) for 3 sets

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Resistance training

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. healthy young male aged 18-40 years;

2. recreational resistance-trained (≥ 1 time/week for the previous 6 months);

3. free from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and neurological disorders and other chronic diseases;

4. free from any medical condition listed on the 2014 update of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+);

5. non-smoker; and

6. normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

Exclusion Criteria

1. athlete trained in a competitive sports team or engaging in exercise for more than 20 hours/week;

2. unable to perform any of the intervention exercises (barbell squat, press, and deadlift); or

3. color blind

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Taiwan Normal University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ting-Yu Lin

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

Ting-Yu Lin, B.A.

Role: CONTACT

leo850922@gmail.com

+886975211701

Related Links

https://osf.io/4fkpc/

Related Info

Other Identifiers

202205HM003

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id