Moderate-intensity exercise is known to be the best effective intensity to enhance cognitive function, including memory and learning. However, the effects of high-intensity exercise in comparison with moderate- intensity exercise on cognitive function remain controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high-intensity resistance exercise on cognitive function. Thirty-six healthy female college students volunteered to participate in this study. The participants were divided into four groups: (i) control group (CON); (ii) high-intensity resistance exercise group (HIR); (iii) high-intensity aerobic exercise group (HIA); and (iv) combined moderate-intensity exercise group (MIC). Immediately prior to and after exercise, the solved number (SN) and reaction times (RT) in the Stroop test (neutral task, NT and incongruent task, IT), as well as the tissue oxygen index (TOI) in the left and right prefrontal cortex (PFC) were measured in all groups. In the NT, both HIR and MIC groups showed significant improvements in SN and RT compared with the CON group. Meanwhile, performance in the HIA group was significantly attenuated compared with that in the MIC group. In the IT, only the MIC group showed a significant increase in SN and RT compared with the CON group. Furthermore, the TOI in the PFC (left PFC in the NT, and bilaterally in the IT) was significantly lower in the HIR group compared with that in the CON group. The results of this study show worse cognitive performance and decreased PFC oxygenation in high-intensity exercise compared with moderate-intensity exercise and controls. These results suggest that high-intensity exercise may not improve cognition as effectively as moderate-intensity exercise.

Objective. To evaluate the effect of chlorogenic acids (CGAs) intake on cognitive function. Methods. In this pilot study, the Cogstate and CNS Vital Signs test batteries were used to evaluate cognitive function in 8 healthy elderly men and women complaining of subjective memory loss after a 6‐month intake of a test beverage containing 330 mg of CGAs just before bedtime. Results. After a 6‐month CGA intake period, significant improvement was observed in the One Back Test of the Cogstate, the Shifting Attention Test, and Finger Tapping Test as well as in the composite memory, verbal memory, complex attention, cognitive flexibility, executive function, and motor speed domains of the CNS Vital Signs test battery. Conclusion. A 6‐month intake of CGAs may improve attentional, executive, and memory functions in the elderly with complaints of subjective memory loss.

This study investigates the anti-fatigue effects of Acanthopanax sieboldianus (A. sieboldianus) at various exercise intensities. Two experiments were conducted in 18 Sprague-Dawley rats. In Experiment 1, a three-stage increment test (15 m/min for 5 min, and 20 m/min for 5 min and 25 m/min for 10 min) was performed using a treadmill. In Experiment 2, a 10-min swimming test was conducted. Blood samples were extracted from each rat before, during and after the exercises and the blood concentrations of lactate and glucose measured. In both experiments, water (control) or A. sieboldianus solution (ASS) was administered orally using a zonde 30 min before the exercise. In the swimming test, ASS administration significantly decreased the blood lactate level measured at the end of the exercise and 5 min post-exercise relative to the water group, although the two groups did not differ significantly in the treadmill test. Our study demonstrates that a single oral administration of A. sieboldianus prior to high-intensity exercise significantly decreases the blood lactate concentration suggesting that A. sieboldianus has an intrinsic anti-fatigue effect.

This study aimed at evaluating whether high-oleic peanuts (with skin), which are rich in oleic acid, could serve as an energy substrate for prolonged exercise and improve endurance performance. We evaluated changes in blood biomarker (triglycerides, free fatty acid (FFA), biological antioxidant potential (BAP), malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL), and serum total protein) levels at 2-h intervals for 6 h after the ingestion of 10 g and 30 g of peanuts. The results were used to determine the timing of peanut ingestion before the endurance performance test. As a result, there was a significant change in the 30-g peanut-ingested condition, and lipid levels increased 2 h after the ingestion of 30 g of peanuts. Accordingly, the endurance performance test was conducted 2 h after ingesting 30 g of peanuts. The endurance performance test involved 70 min of pedaling exercise. We measured pre- and postexercise levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), which is a biomarker of oxidative stress. There was a significantly improved workload in the endurance performance test in the high-oleic peanut-ingested condition than in the control condition. Furthermore, the rate of increase in 8-OHdG was significantly lower in the high-oleic peanut-ingested condition than in the control condition. This suggests that the increase in FFA levels resulting from the ingestion of high-oleic peanuts and the inherent antioxidant effects of peanuts improved the workload during endurance exercise.

Background and Objectives: Physical function is influenced by light irradiation, and interest in the influence of light irradiation on health is high. Light signals are transmitted from the retina to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) via the retinal hypothalamic tract as non-image vision. Additionally, the SCN projects a nerve to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) which acts as a stress center. This study examined the influences of three different light sources on neural activity in the PVN region using two different color temperatures. Materials and Methods: Experiments were conducted using twenty-eight Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice (10 week old males). Three light sources were used: (1) organic light-emitting diode (OLED) lighting, (2) LED lighting, and (3) fluorescent lighting. We examined the effects of light irradiation from the three light sources using two different color temperatures (2800 K and 4000 K). Perfusion was done 60 min after light irradiation, and then the brain was removed from the mouse for an immunohistochemistry analysis. c-Fos was immunohistochemically visualized as a marker of neural activity in the PVN region. Results: The number of c-Fos-positive cells was found to be significantly lower under OLED lighting and LED lighting conditions than under fluorescent lighting at a color temperature of 2800 K, and significantly lower under OLED lighting than LED lighting conditions at a color temperature of 4000 K. Conclusions: This study reveals that different light sources and color temperatures alter the neural activity of the PVN region. These results suggest that differences in the light source or color temperature may affect the stress response.