Table 1.
Overview of characteristics of included studies regarding acute high-intensity interval training and executive function.
| Study | Participant | Design | Exercise Intervention | EF Assessment | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author (year), Location | N (males %) Mean age (SD) Fitness level |
Exp. Design Comparator | Total time | Type | Protocol: Set, WRT (rest interval) |
Intensity | Time exam. | Task | Comp. |
| Alves et al. (2014) [40] Brazil |
N = 22 (41%) 53.7 (4.7) Fit |
Within-subject Active |
20 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 10 sets, 1 min and 1 min (active) | Submax. | Immediate | Digit span test-backward Stroop test | Updating Inhibition |
| Burin.et al. (2020) [47] Japan |
N = 45 (53%) 23.7 (4.5) Fit |
Within-subject Passive |
8 min | Aerobic exercise (running) | 8 sets, 30 s and 30 s (active) | Maximal | Immediate | Stroop test | Inhibition |
| Chang et al. (2017) [52] Korea |
N = 36 (0%) 21.4 (1.6) Fit |
Between-subject Passive |
30 min | Combined exercise (circuit training) | 3 sets, 1:2 (passive) | Submax. | 15 min | Stroop test | Inhibition |
| Cooper et al. (2016) [62] UK |
N = 44 (48%) 12.6 (0.6) Fit |
Within-subject Passive |
10 min | Aerobic exercise (running) | 10 sets, 10 s and 50 s (active) | Maximal | Immediate, 45 min | Corsi block test Stroop test-complex level | Updating Inhibition |
| Dupuy et al. (2018) [44] France |
N = 20 (100%) 28.0 (4.8) Fit |
Within-subject Passive |
36 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 6 sets, 3 min and 3 min (passive) | Submax. | 15, 30, 45, and 60 min | Modified Stroop test-interference | Shifting |
| Gmiat et al. (2017) [55] Poland |
N = 14 (0%) 22.7 (3), 41.7 (4) Sedentary |
Between-subject Passive |
27 min | Combined exercise (circuit training) | 3 sets, 30 s and 10 s (passive) | Maximal | 60 min | Corsi block test Stroop test | Inhibition Updating |
| Hashimoto et al. (2018) [48] Japan |
N = 14 (100%) 24 (1) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
28 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 4 sets, 4 min and 3 min (active) | Submax. | Immediate, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 min | Stroop test | Inhibition |
| Kao et al. (2018) [58] USA |
N = 36 (50%) 21.5 (0.5) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
16 min | Aerobic exercise (running) | 8 sets, 1 min and 1 min (active) | Submax. | 12 min | Flanker task-interference score | Inhibition |
| Kao et al. (2017) [59] USA |
N = 64 (42%) 19.2 (0.8) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
7.5 min | Aerobic exercise (running) | 3 sets, 1.5 min and 1 min (active) | Submax. | 20 min | Flanker task-incongruent | Inhibition |
| Kujach et al. (2018) [49] Japan |
N = 25 (64%) 21.0 (1.6) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
8 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 8 sets, 30 s and 30 s (passive) | Submax. | 15 min | Stroop test | Inhibition |
| Kujach et al. (2019) [50] Japan |
N = 36 (100%) 21 (1.29) Fit-low |
Between-subject Passive |
30 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 6 sets, 30 s and 4.5 min (passive) | Maximal | 20 min | Stroop test TMT-B |
Inhibition Shifting |
| Lambrick et al. (2016) [63] UK |
N = 20 (45%) 8.8 (0.8) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
15 min | Aerobic exercise (running) | 6 sets, 55 s and 95 s (active) | Maximal | 1 min, 15 min, and 30 min | Stroop test | Inhibition |
| Ligeza et al. (2018) [54] Poland |
N = 18 (100%) 24.9 (2.2) Fit |
Within-subject Passive |
24 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 4 sets, 3 min, 3 min (active) | Submax. | 13 min | Flanker task-incongruent | Inhibition |
| Ludyga et al. (2019) [57] Switzerland |
N = 94 (100%) 13.9 (0.7) Sedentary |
Between-subject Passive |
16 min | Combined exercise (circuit training) | 10 sets, 60 s and 30 s, 30 s and 30 s (passive) | Maximal | Immediate, 30 min, 60 min | Flanker task-incongruent | Inhibition |
| Martínez et al. (2020) [56] Spain |
N = 25 (100%) (2.1) Fit |
Within-subject Passive |
20 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 10 sets, 1 min and 1 min (passive) | Submax. | Immediate, 30 min | Digit span test | Updating |
| Miller et al. (2019) [60] USA |
N = 25 (48%) 23 (2.79) Fit |
Within-subject Passive |
10 min (LV) and 20 min (MV) | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 5 sets, 1 min and 1 min (active) (LV); 10 set, 1 min and 1 min (active) (MV) | Submax. | 1 min | Stroop test | Inhibition |
| Quintero et al. (2018) [43] Colombia |
N = 36 (100%) 23.55 (3.4) Sedentary |
Between-subject Passive |
32 min | Aerobic exercise (running) | 4 sets, 4 min and 4 min (active) | Submax. | Immediate | Stroop test-interference | Inhibition |
| Schwarck et al. (2019) [45] Germany |
N = 39 (100%) 23.33 (3.23) Fit |
Between-subject Passive |
25 min | Aerobic exercise (running) | 5 sets, 2 min and 3 min (active) | Submax. | 10 min | Stroop test-incongruent TMT-B |
Inhibition Shifting |
| Slusher et al. (2018) [61] USA |
N = 13 (100%) 23.62 (1.06) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
5 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 10 sets, 20 s and 10 s. (active) | Maximal | Immediate | Wisconsin card sorting task | Updating |
| Solianik et al. (2020) [53] Lithuania |
N = 11 (100%) 22.8 (2.9) Fit |
Within-subject passive |
12 min | Aerobic exercise (boxing) | 3 sets, 3 min and 1 min (passive) | Maximal | 21–30 min | Go/No-Go task Procedural reaction time Mathematical processing |
Inhibition Shifting Updating |
| Sun et al. (2019) [42] China |
N = 20 (50%) 23.9 (2.5) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
6 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 10 sets, 6 s and 30 s (passive) | Maximal | Immediate | Go/No-Go task | Inhibition |
| Tsukamoto et al. (2016) [51] Japan |
N = 12 (100%) 22.9 (0.4) Fit |
Within-subject Passive |
28 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 4 sets, 4 min and 3 min (active) | Submax. | Immediate, 10, 20, and 30 min | Stroop test-incongruent | Inhibition |
| Wilke et al. (2020) [46] Japan |
N = 35 (49%) 26.7 (3.6) Fit |
Between-subject Passive |
15 min | Combined exercise (circuit training) | 30 sets, 20 s and 10 s (passive) | Maximal | Immediate | Stroop TMT-B Digit span test |
Inhibition Shifting Updating |
| Xie et al. (2020) [41] China |
N = 16 (100%) 24.5 (5.09) Sedentary |
Within-subject Passive |
20 min | Aerobic exercise (cycling) | 10 sets, 1 min and 1 min (active) | Submax. | 15 min | Flanker task-incongruent | Inhibition |
Note: WRT = work and recovery time; NR = not report; TMT-B = trail making test-B; UK = United Kingdom; USA = United States; Immediate ≤10 min; Exam. = Examination; Comp. = Component; Submax. = Submaximal.