Acute Effects of Active Breaks and Physically Active Learning in University Students

Acute Effects of Active Breaks and Physically Active Learning on Executive Functions, Interest-Enjoyment, and Academic Performance in University Students

Status

Not yet recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07809750

Acronym

PAL UNI

Enrollment

700

Registered

2026-09-09

Start date

2026-09-15

Completion date

2027-07-31

Last updated

2026-09-10

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

Conditions

Academic Performance, Cognitive Performance

Keywords

Active breaks, Physically active learning, Executive functions, Cognitive performance, Academic performance, University students, Physical activity, Sedentary behavior, Working memory, Inhibitory control

Brief summary

This multicenter randomized crossover study will examine the acute effects of four classroom break conditions on executive functions, immediate academic performance, perceived exertion, and interest-enjoyment in university students. Each participant will complete four experimental sessions in which a different 15-minute condition will be implemented: a sedentary free break, a sedentary academic review break, an active break without academic content, and physically active learning combining movement with academic review. Cognitive performance will be assessed before and after each session using Stroop and N-Back tasks. Academic performance, perceived exertion, and interest-enjoyment will be assessed after each experimental session.

Detailed description

This is a multicenter, randomized, counterbalanced crossover study conducted in university students from eight Spanish universities. Participants will first complete a familiarization session in which study procedures, cognitive assessments, and the participant identification system will be explained and practiced. Each participant will subsequently complete four experimental sessions, separated by at least one week whenever feasible. Each experimental session will include: 1. A 10-minute PRE assessment including Stroop and N-Back tests. 2. Approximately 45 minutes of regular academic instruction. 3. A 15-minute experimental classroom break. 4. Up to 10 additional minutes of regular instruction. 5. An immediate POST assessment including Stroop, N-Back, a 10-item academic performance test, perceived exertion, and interest-enjoyment. The four experimental conditions will be: A. Sedentary free break without academic content. B. Sedentary academic review using true/false questions. C. Active break without academic content. D. Physically active learning combining the same physical activities used in Condition C with academic true/false questions. The order of the four conditions will be randomized and counterbalanced across participating groups. Participants will therefore act as their own controls. A subsample of participants may wear accelerometers to objectively characterize physical activity and sedentary behavior during the experimental sessions.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALSedentary Academic Review

A 15-minute sedentary academic review activity using 10 true/false questions based on academic content presented during the first 45 minutes of the session.

BEHAVIORALActive Break

A standardized 15-minute classroom physical activity break without academic content.

BEHAVIORALPhysically Active Learning

A standardized 15-minute intervention combining physical activity with academic true/false questions. Participants respond to academic questions through predefined physical movements.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Intervention model description

Each participant will complete all four experimental conditions in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Experimental sessions will be separated by at least one week whenever feasible to reduce potential carryover and learning effects.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* University students aged 18 years or older. * Currently enrolled in one of the participating university courses/classes. * Provision of informed consent. * Ability to participate safely in light-to-moderate classroom physical activity. * Ability to complete computerized cognitive assessments.

Exclusion criteria

* Injury, illness, or medical condition contraindicating participation in physical activity. * Acute illness or other condition on the day of testing likely to substantially affect attention or cognitive performance. * Inability to complete the required computerized cognitive assessments.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Change in Inhibitory Control Assessed by the Stroop Test	Immediately before and approximately 10 minutes after the 15-minute experimental condition, during each of the four experimental sessions.	Inhibitory control will be assessed using the Stroop task. Outcomes will include response accuracy and reaction time. Acute change will be calculated by comparing PRE and POST performance within each experimental session.
Change in Working Memory Assessed by the N-Back Test	Immediately before and approximately 10 minutes after the experimental condition, during each of the four experimental sessions.	Working memory will be assessed using the N-Back task. Outcomes will include accuracy, omissions/errors, and reaction time. Acute change will be calculated from PRE to POST within each experimental session.
Immediate Academic Performance	Approximately 10 minutes after the experimental condition, during each of the four experimental sessions.	Academic performance will be assessed using a 10-item multiple-choice test developed specifically for the academic content taught during each experimental session. Each question will have three response options and one correct answer. The outcome will be the number of correct responses, ranging from 0 to 10.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Interest-Enjoyment	Approximately 10 minutes after the experimental condition, during each of the four experimental sessions.	Interest and enjoyment will be assessed using three items from the Interest/Enjoyment subscale of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory.
Rating of Perceived Exertion	Approximately 10 minutes after the experimental condition, during each of the four experimental sessions.	Perceived exertion during the 15-minute experimental condition will be assessed using a 0-10 Rating of Perceived Exertion scale, where higher scores indicate greater perceived exertion.

Countries

Spain

Contacts

CONTACTCarlos Martín-Martínez, PhD

carlos.martinm@urjc.es+34914884880

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCarlos Martín-Martínez, PhD

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

STUDY_DIRECTORÓscar Martínez de Quel Pérez, PhD

Universidad Pública de Navarra

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 11, 2026