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Investigating the Inverted-U Relationship Between Cognitive Performance and Plasma Epinephrine

Investigating the Inverted-U Relationship Between Cognitive Performance and Plasma Epinephrine: A Registered Report of a Four-arm Crossover Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05407259
Enrollment
40
Registered
2022-06-07
Start date
2022-06-01
Completion date
2023-12-31
Last updated
2022-06-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Healthy Young Adults

Keywords

Resistance Training, Kinesiology, Applied, Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology, Sports, Cognitive Psychology, Psychophysiology, Exercise, Circuit-Based Exercise

Brief summary

Abstract Although acute resistance exercise has been suggested to enhance inhibitory control, a critical component of executive function, the mechanism by which acute exercise influences inhibitory control is unclear and there are methodological limitations in previous empirical studies. According to the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) theory, the activity of the LC, the major releaser of NE in the brain, regulates inhibitory control. Because there is reciprocal communication between circulating epinephrine and the LC. Plasma epinephrine is chosen as the index of LC-NE activity. However, only one study in acute exercise-inhibitory control measured the plasma epinephrine. Therefore, this registered report aims to extend its findings by a four-arm crossover randomized controlled design with three different intensities, using free-weight, multiple-joint, and structural resistance exercises. Moreover, most studies showed some methodological limitations such as failing to report the process of randomization, implementing a familiarization of resistance exercise before the maximal strength test, and publishing the protocol. Without a transparent report on how the participants were allocated, the results were at risk of bias. Without a familiarization of resistance exercise, the maximal muscle strength was likely to be underestimated. Without publishing the protocol before data collection, these findings were threatened by undetected researchers' degrees of freedom such as HARKing (hypothesizing after the results are known), cherry picking, and p-hacking. This registered report will address the limitations of previous studies by incorporating cognitive and resistance exercise familiarization, transparently reporting the randomization process, and submitting it as a registered report.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALResistance exercise

There will be four conditions (three exercises and one control) on visits 3-6. For the three exercise conditions, all training parameters except intensity will be the same. The sets in high, moderate, and low intensity correspond to the rate of perceived exertion (0-10 scale) 7-9, 5-6, and 3-4, respectively. Therefore, the participants will perform 5 repetitions barbell squat, barbell press, and barbell deadlift with 8RM (78% 1RM), 11RM (72% 1RM), and 16RM (65% 1RM) for 3 sets

Sponsors

National Taiwan Normal University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE

Masking description

Blinding (masking) and controlling risk of bias Because of the nature of exercise interventions, the blinding of participants and experimenters is not applicable to our study. To reduce the threat of the placebo effect, we will ask participants for their expectations on cognitive performance, and these will be incorporated into our statistical analysis. Blinding of the outcome assessors is also not possible. However, all measurements of cognitive performance will be computerized and not involve human judgment. The data analyzers will not be blinded but will follow a pre-specified statistical analysis plan. These procedures will reduce the risk of bias arising from the lack of blinding of participants, experimenters, assessors, and data analyzers and the threat from researchers' degrees of freedom.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
20 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. healthy young male aged 18-40 years; 2. recreational resistance-trained (≥ 1 time/week for the previous 6 months); 3. free from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and neurological disorders and other chronic diseases; 4. free from any medical condition listed on the 2014 update of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q+); 5. non-smoker; and 6. normal or corrected-to-normal vision.

Exclusion criteria

1. athlete trained in a competitive sports team or engaging in exercise for more than 20 hours/week; 2. unable to perform any of the intervention exercises (barbell squat, press, and deadlift); or 3. color blind

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Information processing speed (change between baseline and 50 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 50 minutes after intervention/control.The Information processing speed will be the mean simple reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Inhibitory control (change between baseline and 35 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 35 minutes after (post-task) intervention/control.The Inhibitory control (Stroop interference score) will be the mean incongruent reaction time minus the mean congruent reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Inhibitory control (change between baseline and 50 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 50 minutes after (post-task) intervention/control.The Inhibitory control (Stroop interference score) will be the mean incongruent reaction time minus the mean congruent reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Information processing speed (change between baseline and 5 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 5 minutes after intervention/control.The Information processing speed will be the mean simple reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Information processing speed (change between baseline and 20 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 20 minutes after intervention/control.The Information processing speed will be the mean simple reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Information processing speed (change between baseline and 35 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 35 minutes after intervention/control.The Information processing speed will be the mean simple reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Inhibitory control (change between baseline and 5 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 5 minutes after (post-task) intervention/control.The Inhibitory control (Stroop interference score) will be the mean incongruent reaction time minus the mean congruent reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.
Inhibitory control (change between baseline and 20 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline (before intervention) and 20 minutes after (post-task) intervention/control.The Inhibitory control (Stroop interference score) will be the mean incongruent reaction time minus the mean congruent reaction time. Lower scores mean a better outcome.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Epinephrine (change between baseline and 15 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline and 15 minutes after intervention/control.Plasma epinephrine concentrations will be measured in duplicate using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.
Epinephrine (change between baseline and 30 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline and 30 minutes after intervention/control.Plasma epinephrine concentrations will be measured in duplicate using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.
Epinephrine (change between baseline and 45 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline and 45 minutes after intervention/control.Plasma epinephrine concentrations will be measured in duplicate using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.
Epinephrine (change between baseline and 60 minutes after intervention/control)Baseline and 60 minutes after intervention/control.Plasma epinephrine concentrations will be measured in duplicate using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.
Epinephrine (change between baseline and immediately after intervention/control)Baseline and immediately after intervention/control.Plasma epinephrine concentrations will be measured in duplicate using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.

Contacts

Primary ContactTing-Yu Lin, B.A.
leo850922@gmail.com+886975211701

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026