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Influence of Physical Loads on Cognitive Functions and Bioelectric Activity of the Brain in Athletes of Various Specializations

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Abstract

Methods of psychophysiological testing and electroencephalography were used to study the effect of physical activity on cognitive functions (in particular, in the decision-making ability test) and brain bioelectrical activity (in particular, the power of the EEG amplitude in the beta and delta ranges) in athletes of various specializations. It is shown that when performing psychological tests before the load, athletes involved in cyclic types of load demonstrate better results than weightlifters, they have a higher learning rate, a higher percentage of correct answers, a shorter response time, and a faster attention switching speed. The results of psychological tests before exercise in the control group were lower than in athletes, but higher than in weightlifters. The single-time physical load of a cyclic nature did not affect the results of the Iowa Gambling Task in untrained volunteers and weightlifters but contributed to the improvement of test results in athletes training in cyclic sports; the learning rate and the percentage of correct answers increased. When performing a cognitive test, athletes noted an increase in the power of the spectra of the delta (and in weightlifters—theta) range to a greater extent than in the control. In contrast to the control group, physical activity in athletes more often contributes to a decrease in the power of the EEG spectra, especially in the beta and delta ranges. The revealed differences in the results of psychophysiological tests in athletes of various specializations and untrained volunteers are largely determined by the features of the functional activity of various parts of the cortex, which is reflected in the characteristics of patterns of brain bioelectrical activity.

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Funding

The study was supported by the Tomsk State University Development Program (Priority-2030).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia

    E. V. Medvedeva, G. S. Yezhova & L. V. Kapilevich

  2. Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia

    S. G. Krivoshchekov

  3. National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia

    N. A. Ovchinnikova & L. V. Kapilevich

Authors
  1. N. A. Ovchinnikova
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  2. E. V. Medvedeva
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  3. G. S. Yezhova
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  4. S. G. Krivoshchekov
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  5. L. V. Kapilevich
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Correspondence to L. V. Kapilevich.

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Ethics approval. All studies were conducted in accordance with the principles of biomedical ethics, formulated in the Declaration of Helsinki 1964 and its subsequent updates, and approved Commission on Bioethics of the Biological Institute of Tomsk State University (Minutes No. 33 dated December 2, 2019).

Informed consent. Each participant in the study provided a voluntary written informed consent signed by him after explaining to him the potential risks and benefits, as well as the nature of the upcoming study.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare the absence of obvious and potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.

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Ovchinnikova, N.A., Medvedeva, E.V., Yezhova, G.S. et al. Influence of Physical Loads on Cognitive Functions and Bioelectric Activity of the Brain in Athletes of Various Specializations. Hum Physiol 49, 502–512 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119723600212

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