Moving the body or watching the screen: 20-minute exercise modulates brain activity and enhances cognitive performance in younger and older male adults

Background: Acute exercise (AE) has been shown to enhance cognitive and mental functioning, yet the underlying neural dynamics across age groups remain unclear. 

Aim: This study examined how a 20-min bout of moderate-intensity AE modulates behavioral and neural responses supporting cognitive control. 

Method: Fifty-one healthy males (28 younger, 23 older adults) completed both AE (treadmill, 60–70% heart-rate reserve) and control (video watching) conditions in a counterbalanced within-subject design. EEG was recorded during a Stroop color–word task following each condition. 

Results: AE shortened reaction times without reducing accuracy, indicating greater processing efficiency. Event-related potential analyses revealed reduced N1/N2 amplitudes, while time–frequency results showed stronger frontal alpha desynchronization and increased theta–beta modulations. These effects reflect enhanced attentional allocation and cortical engagement. 

Conclusion: Collectively, findings suggest that even a single AE session can transiently optimize neural efficiency through a dual-phase mechanism—reducing early sensory and conflict-monitoring demands while facilitating later attentional and evaluative processes—highlighting exercise as a brief yet effective means to promote adaptive mental functioning across the adult lifespan.