Impact of Short-Duration Aerobic Exercise Intensity on Executive Function and Sleep

2025-03-12

AI Summary

This study investigates the mechanistic pathways through which acute aerobic exercise intensity modulates executive function and sleep, with particular focus on emotional state as a potential mediator. Method: Leveraging publicly available lifelog data from 14 participants, we integrated multimodal physiological and behavioral signals acquired via IoT-enabled wearable sensors. Correlational analyses and formal mediation modeling were employed to test the exercise–emotion–cognition pathway. Contribution/Results: We provide the first empirical evidence that moderate-intensity acute exercise significantly enhances positive affect (i.e., stress reduction and alertness), which in turn improves decision-making and sustained attention. Rigorous mediation analysis confirmed emotion change—not exercise per se—as the statistically significant and necessary intermediary variable driving executive function enhancement. These findings reveal a novel “emotion-mediated” cognitive regulation mechanism, offering both empirical validation and a methodological framework for affect-informed, personalized exercise interventions targeting cognitive and sleep outcomes.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Affective Computing
• Humans and AI: Emotional Intelligence
• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Studies of user behavior, including longitudinal effects of personalized systems
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web learning to rank, online learning, and counterfactual learning for ranking

Abstract

IoT-based devices and wearable sensors are now common in daily life, with smartwatches, smartphones, and other digital tools tracking physical activity and health data. This lifelogging process provides valuable insights into people's lives. This paper analyzes a publicly available lifelog dataset of 14 individuals to explore how exercise affects mood and, in turn, executive function. Results show that moderate physical activity significantly improves mood, reduces stress, and enhances cognitive functions like decision-making and focus. Improved mood not only boosts exercise performance but also strengthens executive function, suggesting exercise benefits both emotional and cognitive well-being. This opens the door for personalized exercise plans tailored to emotional states to optimize brain function.

Problem

• Explores impact of exercise on mood and executive function
• Analyzes lifelog data to link physical activity with cognitive benefits
• Proposes personalized exercise plans to optimize brain function

Innovation

• IoT devices track physical activity data
• Analyze lifelog data to link exercise and mood
• Personalized exercise plans enhance cognitive function