Effect of Exercise Intensity Level on Choice Reaction Time

The primary aim of this study was to examine the effects of exercise intensity and duration on choice reaction time with a secondary aim to examine the influence of aerobic fitness on choice reaction time. Fifteen college-aged men enrolled in a physical fitness activity course participated. We observed a cubic trend ( r =.99) across exercise intensity that ranged from unloaded cycling to 90% of physical working capacity (PWC). However, no significant differences were noted across intensity (medium effect size) or duration (small effect size). The fastest choice reaction time occurred at 75% of PWC, which was near the ventilatory threshold (72.6% of VO2max). Aerobic fitness was average for college-aged men (39.3 ml/kg/min.) and was poorly correlated with choice reaction time across exercise intensity. Further research is needed to compare choice reaction time in high to low fitness groups across exercise intensity.