Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39537898›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2025

Acute exercise impacts heart rate variability but not cognitive flexibility during subsequent simulated firefighter occupational tasks.

Philip J Agostinelli, Nicholas C Bordonie, Braxton A Linder, Ann M Robbins, Parker L Jones, Lee F Reagan, C Brooks Mobley, Matthew W Miller, William M Murrah, JoEllen M Sefton

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Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Philip J AgostinelliWarrior Research Center, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Road, Auburn, AL, 38632, USA.
Nicholas C BordonieWarrior Research Center, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Road, Auburn, AL, 38632, USA.
Braxton A LinderNeurovascular Physiology Lab, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
Ann M RobbinsWarrior Research Center, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Road, Auburn, AL, 38632, USA.
Parker L JonesWarrior Research Center, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Road, Auburn, AL, 38632, USA.
Lee F ReaganWarrior Research Center, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Road, Auburn, AL, 38632, USA.
C Brooks MobleyNutrabolt Applied and Molecular Physiology Lab, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
Matthew W MillerPerformance and Exercise Psychophysiology Lab, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
William M MurrahDepartment of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
JoEllen M SeftonWarrior Research Center, School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, 301 Wire Road, Auburn, AL, 38632, USA. jms0018@auburn.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5827-0586

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAcute exercise can transiently enhance cognitive flexibility. The cognitive demand of firefighters makes it relevant to understand if on-shift exercise could produce similar improvements in cognitive performance during subsequent occupational tasks. Metrics of heart rate variability (HRV), such as time- and frequency-domain outcomes, may shed light upon the influence exercise has on cognition, as they discern information related to cardiac autonomic (sympathetic/parasympathetic) function. We aimed to determine if acute resistance and aerobic exercise impact cognitive flexibility during occupational tasks and its relation to HRV.

methods32 participants completed a baseline Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST) and three experimental trials: resistance exercise (RE), aerobic exercise (AE), or a rested control (CON). An occupational task assessment (OTA) including four rounds of 10 deadlifts and a 0.15-mile sandbag carry in an environmental chamber (35 °C/50% humidity) was completed after each trial. The second round was followed by the WCST. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze differences by condition.

resultsFor the WCST, total, perseverative, and non-perseverative errors did not differ (ps > 0.39). Time-domain HRV metrics were not different (ps > 0.05). All frequency-domain metrics, other than low-frequency power, were not different (ps > 0.24). Low-frequency power was lower based on condition (p = 0.03). Post hoc analysis showed low-frequency power was lower following AE compared to RE and CON.

conclusionResults suggest an acute bout of on-shift aerobic or resistance exercise may not impact cognitive flexibility during subsequent simulated occupational tasks, despite depressed metrics of heart rate variability following aerobic exercise.

Indexed as

CognitionExerciseFirefightersHeart RateAdultFemaleHumansMaleExecutive functionHeart rate variabilityHeat stressHigh-intensity interval trainingResistance trainingTactical athletes

Identifiers

PMID39537898
PMCPMC11950049

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.