The effects and mechanisms of high-intensity interval training/moderate-intensity continuous exercise combined with whole-body vibration training on neurocognitive performance in postmenopausal women: From the perspectives of Event related potentials and molecular indices

This experiment includes five types of exercise interventions: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise (MICE), Whole-Body Vibration (WBV), HIIT combined with WBV (HIIT+WBV), and MICE combined with WBV (MICE+WBV). Participants are assigned to one of these intervention groups or a control group for both acute (one 30-minute session) and chronic (three 30-minute sessions per week for 16 weeks) exercise conditions. Supervision and mode of administration All sessions will be supervised by a qualified physiotherapist. Sessions will be delivered in small groups with a ratio of one supervisor per 1–3 participants to ensure safety and protocol adherence. Intensity measurement Exercise intensity will be prescribed and monitored using heart rate reserve (HRR) calculations based on baseline maximal exercise testing. Participants will wear a wrist-strap heart rate monitor (Polar, Finland) during all aerobic sessions. In addition, the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE, 6–20 scale) will be recorded to cross-check internal load. Adherence monitoring Attendance will be recorded for every session using a session checklist. For chronic interventions, adherence will be verified through heart rate logs and RPE records. Missed sessions will be rescheduled within the same week wherever possible. HIIT: Alternates between 2 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise (at 80–85% heart rate reserve) and 2 minutes of rest, repeated seven times per session. Each session begins with a warm-up and ends with a cool-down. MICE: Involves 26 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise at 60–65% heart rate reserve, including a warm-up and cool-down. WBV: Comprises 30 minutes of whole-body vibration resistance training, with three sets of 9-minute WBV bouts interspersed with 1-minute rests. A warm-up and cool-down are included. HIIT+WBV: Follows the 20-minute HIIT protocol, followed by 10 minutes of WBV resistance training (three sets of 1-minute WBV with 1-minute rest). MICE+WBV: Follows the 20-minute MICE protocol, followed by 10 minutes of WBV resistance training (same format as above).