Effects of a Brief Stair-Climbing Intervention on Cognitive Performance and Mood States in Healthy Young Adults: Dose-Response Relationships

INTERVENTION: Participants will visit the laboratory on three separate occasions for a control session, a 3 x 60‐s stair climbing session, and a 6 x 60‐s stair‐climbing session. Prior to their first visit they will be randomly assigned a session order. Upon arrival at the laboratory at the University, the participant will be asked to remain seated for 5 min to obtain a measure of resting heart rate. During a stair‐climbing session, following the 5‐min resting period participants will receive verbal instructions regarding how to perform the ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) using Borg's (1998) RPE scale, and the stair‐climbing protocol, and watch a short demonstration video of the stair‐climbing phase. Participants will then leave the testing room with the experimenter to complete the protocol. Further instructions are provided during the stair‐climbing protocol. An adapted version of the 3 x 60‐s 1F stair‐climbing protocol from Allison et al. (2017) and Stenling et al. (2019) will be used. Participants will complete one session of 3 x 60‐s 1F stair‐climbing and one session of 6 x 60‐s 1F stair‐climbing, either one or two weeks apart (depending on their session order). The 3 x 60‐s protocol includes the following phases: 2‐min warm‐up, 45‐s instructional interval, 1‐min stair climbing, 45‐s recovery, 1‐min stair climbing, 45‐s recovery, 1‐min stair climbing, and 3‐min cool‐down. The 6 x 60‐s protocol includes the same phases, but with six stair‐climbing intervals instead of three. For the warm‐up, the participant walks at a moderate pace on a flat surface from the laboratory to the stairwell and then up two flights of 12 stairs (each 17 cm in height). The participant then walks at a brisk pace back and forth along the corridor for the remainder of the 2 min. During the 45‐s instruc CONDITION: Cognitive function;Mood states; ; Cognitive function ; Mood states Mental Health ‐ Studies of normal psychology, cognitive function and behaviour Neurological ‐ Studies of the normal brain and nervous system SECONDARY OUTCOME: Mood state (calm) will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS). ; ; The response is given on a 0 (Not at all) to 100 (Extremely) visual analogue scale. ; ; Reference ; Machado, L., Thompson, L. M., & Brett, C. H. (2018). Visual analogue mood scale scores in healthy young versus older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 1‐8. doi:10.1017/S1041610218000996 ; [Assessed at three time points (i.e., 3 x 60‐s stair climb, 6 x 60‐s stair climb, and control), each one week apart.] Mood state (energetic) will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS). ; ; The response is given on a 0 (Not at all) to 100 (Extremely) visual analogue scale. ; ; Reference ; Machado, L., Thompson, L. M., & Brett, C. H. (2018). Visual analogue mood scale scores in healthy young versus older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 1‐8. doi:10.1017/S1041610218000996[Assessed at three time points (i.e., 3 x 60‐s stair climb, 6 x 60‐s stair climb, and control), each one week apart.] Mood state (happy) will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS). ; ; The response is given on a 0 (Not at all) to 100 (Extremely) visual analogue scale. ; ; Reference ; ; The response is given on a 0 (Not at all) to 100 (Extremely) visual analogue scale. ; ; Reference ; ; The response is given on a 0 (Not at all) to 100 (Extremely) visual analogue scale. ; ; Reference ; ; The response is given on a 0 (Not at all) to 100 (Extremely) visual analogue scale. ; ; Reference INCLUSION CRITERIA: ‐ Aged 18‐30 ‐ Normal or corrected‐to‐normal vision ‐ Readiness for physical activity, based on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionaire (PAR‐Q; Thomas, Reading, & Shephard, 1992). PRIMARY OUTCOME: Inhibitory control (assessed via Anti task). Computerized reaction time task in which participants have to press a button on the opposite side of a red square that appears on a computer screen. Reaction times (ms) and cost scores are used as outcomes. To separate inhibitory control performance from visuomotor performance an inhibition cost score is calculated for each participant by subtracting reaction times from a visuomotor performance task (assessed via Pro task) from inhibitory control (Anti task) reaction times.; ; References; Guiney, H., Lucas, S. J., Cotter, J. D., & Machado, L. (2015). Evidence cerebral blood‐flow regulation mediates exercise‐cognition links in healthy young adults. Neuropsychology, 29(1), 1‐9. doi:10.1037/neu0000124; [Assessed at three time points (i.e., 3 x 60‐s stair‐climb, 6 x 60‐s stair‐climb, and control session), each one week apart.] Switching ability (assessed via Pro/Anti task). Computerized reaction time task in which participants press a button on the same side as green squares and on the opposite side of red squares that appear on a computer screen. Reaction times (ms) and cost scores are used as outcomes. To separate the switching component of the Pro/Anti task from visuomotor and inhibitory components, a switching cost measure is calculated for each participant by subtracting Anti reaction times from Pro/Anti reaction times..; ; References; Guiney, H., Lucas, S. J., Cotter, J. D., & Machado, L. (2015). Evidence cerebral blood‐flow regulation mediates exercise‐cognition links in healthy young adults. Neuropsychology, 29(1), 1‐9. doi:10.1037/neu0000124; ; White, N., Forsyth, B., Lee, A., & Machado, L. (2018). Repeated computerized cognitive testing: Performance shifts and test‐retest reliability in healthy young adults. Psychological Assessment, 30(4), 539‐549. doi:10.1037/pas0000503[Assessed at three time points (i.e., 3 x 60‐s stair climb, 6 x 60‐s stair climb, and control) each one week apart.] ; Machado, L., Thompson, L. M., & Brett, C. H. (2018). Visual analogue mood scale scores in healthy young versus older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 1‐8. doi:10.1017/S1041610218000996[Assessed at three time points (i..e, 3 x 60‐s stair climb, 6 x 60‐s stair climb, and control), each one week apart.] Mood state (sad) will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS). ; Machado, L., Thompson, L. M., & Brett, C. H. (2018). Visual analogue mood scale scores in healthy young versus older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 1‐8. doi:10.1017/S1041610218000996[Assessed at three time points (i.e., 3 x 60‐s stair climb, 6 x 60‐s stair climb, and control) each one week apart] Mood state (tense) will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS). ; Machado, L., Thompson, L. M., & Brett, C. H. (2018). Visual analogue mood scale scores in healthy young versus older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 1‐8. doi:10.1017/S1041610218000996[Assessed at three time points (i.e., 3 x 60‐s stair climb, 6 x 60‐s stair climb, and control), each one week apart.] Mood state (tired) will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Mood Scales (VAMS). ; Machado, L., Thompson, L. M., & Brett, C. H. (2018). Visual analogue mood scale scores in healthy young versus older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 1‐8. doi:10.1017/S1041610218000996[Assessed at three time points (i.e., 3 x 60‐s stair climb, 6 x 60‐s stair climb, and control), each one week apart.] Reference Thomas, S., Reading, J., & Shephard, R. J. (1992). Revision of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR‐Q). Canadian Journal of Sport Sciences, 17(4), 338‐345.