Note:
If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
20 - Minute Workout Boost Cognitive Ability
In a study, no such effect from a shorter or longer workout.
Published June 03, 2014
Different
workouts have different short-term effects. If you want to feel the
stress of a busy day gradually disappear, go on a relaxed trail run. If
you've been dragging and want to jumpstart your central nervous system,
sprint up a steep hill a few times. And if you want to be a little
sharper for an afternoon meeting, do a moderate 20-minute an aerobic
session, suggests new research out of Taiwan.
The research looked at how people did on a cognitive ability test
after each of three workouts: 10-minute cycle at moderate intensity,
20-minute cycle at moderate intensity and 45-minute cycle at moderate-intensity, with each of the rides preceded by a 5-minute warm-up and
followed by a 5-minute cooldown. The participants' scores on the
cognitive ability tests were compared to their performance on the test
when they hadn't exercised.
The cognitive ability task was what's known as a Stroop test. In it,
words representing colours are presented, and the test taker is required
to say what colour the word is printed in, regardless of what colour the
word represents. For example, if the word "green" is presented in red
ink, the correct answer is "red." The Stroop effect describes the
phenomenon in which it takes longer or is harder to give the right
answer when the word is printed in a different colour than the colour it
names (as in the example above) than when the word and the colour it's
printed in are the same (for example, if "green" were printed in green
ink).
When the participants did the Stroop test after their 20-minute ride,
they scored significantly better than when they'd taken it without
working out first. The 10-minute and 45-minute workouts, however, had
negligible effect on their test performance, as measured by accuracy and
speed of response.
The researchers speculated that a 10-minute workout doesn't produce
the short-term brain changes of a 20-minute workout, while, for the
participants in this study, a 45-minute workout was draining enough to
negate the benefits. It's likely that fitter people would see a
cognitive boost from a longer workout, they wrote, but cautioned, "It
should be noted that after prolonged exercise (i.e., two hours), even
participants with high fitness would be expected to experience
decreases in cognitive performance, possibly due to central fatigue
associated with heat stress, dehydration or hypoglycemia or to negative
effects on information processing."
The workouts in this study were done at moderate intensity, about the
effort level you'd keep on a steady, conversational run. Want to see if
the study's finding applies to you? Take the Stroop test below, enjoy a
moderate 20-minute run and then try the test again.
https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/words.html#seffect
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
