Objectives: the current study aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA) level and inhibitory control performance and then to determine whether this association was mediated by multiple sleep parameters (i.e., subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and sleep disturbance). Methods: 180 healthy university students (age: 20.15 ± 1.92 years) from the East China Normal University were recruited for the present study. PA level, sleep parameters, and inhibitory control performance were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI), and a Stroop test, respectively. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results: A higher level of PA was linked to better cognitive performance. Furthermore, higher subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency were associated with better inhibitory control performance. The mediation analysis revealed that subjective sleep quality and sleep efficiency mediated the relationship between PA level and inhibitory control performance. Conclusion: our results are in accordance with the literature and buttress the idea that a healthy lifestyle that involves a relatively high level of regular PA and adequate sleep patterns is beneficial for cognition (e.g., inhibitory control performance). Furthermore, our study adds to the literature that sleep quality and sleep efficiency mediates the relationship between PA and inhibitory control performance, expanding our knowledge in the field of exercise cognition.

Although motor coordination and imitation are important factors affecting motor skill learning, few studies have examined the relationship between them in healthy adults. In order to address this in the present study, we used fNIRS to analyze the relationship between motor coordination and imitation in college students. Our results showed that: (1) motor coordination in female students was positively correlated with the average time taken to perform an imitation; (2) the mean imitation time was negatively correlated with the activation level of the supplementary motor cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and angular gyrus of the mirror neuron system; (3) motor coordination in female students moderated mirror neuron system (MNS) activation and imitation. For women with low rather than high motor coordination, higher MNS activation was associated with a stronger imitation ability. These results demonstrate that motor coordination in female students is closely related to action imitation, and that it moderates the activation of the MNS, as measured via fNIRS.

Background: University students experience a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress, while simultaneously undergoing substantial changes in daily movement behaviours. From a 24-hour movement behaviour perspective, sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity are interdependent components of a fixed time budget, yet little is known about how distinct combinations of these behaviours cluster among Chinese university students and how such patterns relate to negative affect. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from October 2024 to April 2025 using stratified cluster and simple random sampling across universities in Shandong, Zhejiang and Tianjin, yielding 1,056 valid responses. The 24-Hour Movement Behaviour Questionnaire (24HMBQ) assessed sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity. Negative affect was measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was used to identify behavioural profiles, and the R3STEP and Bolck–Croon–Hagenaars (BCH) approaches were used to examine demographic predictors and differences in negative affect. Results: A two-profile solution was retained as the primary representation of 24-hour movement behaviours among Chinese university students, comprising a lower-activity profile (86.0%) and a higher-activity profile (14.0%). Compared with the lower-activity profile, the higher-activity profile showed substantially higher levels of vigorous-, moderate-, and light-intensity physical activity, lower screen-based sedentary behaviour, and slightly higher study-related sedentary time. Gender and academic year significantly predicted profile membership, with female students being less likely and junior students more likely to belong to the higher-activity profile. BCH analyses further showed that students in the lower-activity profile reported significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than those in the higher-activity profile. Conclusions: Chinese university students showed heterogeneity in 24-hour movement behaviours, but the most robust distinction was between lower-activity and higher-activity patterns. Lower-activity patterns were associated with less favourable emotional outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of an integrated 24-hour movement perspective and suggest that interventions aimed at reducing screen-based sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity may help promote emotional wellbeing in university students.