AccScience Publishing / HPR / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/HPR026040023
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

The impact of acute aerobic exercise combined with cognitive tasks on the executive function performance of Chinese college students

Kangni Wang1 ,  Weizhong Dong2*
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1 Department of Sports Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
2 College of Physical Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
HPR, 026040023 https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR026040023
Received: 23 January 2026 | Revised: 6 April 2026 | Accepted: 15 April 2026 | Published online: 21 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Background

Acute exercise benefits executive function (EF), but findings on cognitively engaging physical activity are inconsistent, particularly among college students, highlighting the need to clarify the combined effects of physical exertion (PE) and cognitive engagement (CE).

Objective

This study explores the effects of acute aerobic exercise combined with cognitive tasks on EF among Chinese college students and clarifies the differential effects of PE and CE on EF.

Methods

A 2 × 2 within-subject design was adopted, with PE (high vs. low) and CE (high vs. low) as factors. Sixteen Chinese college students completed EF tests (2-back, Stroop, more–odd shifting) before and after four interventions: high PE + high CE, high PE + low CE, low PE + high CE, and low PE + low CE. Both subjective and objective measures of PE and CE were collected throughout the experiment.

Results

Results showed that high PE + high CE induced the highest cognitive engagement and significantly improved college students’ working memory accuracy and inhibitory control performance; however, no significant effect on cognitive flexibility was observed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cognitively engaging physical activity may provide greater short-term benefits for partial core components of college students’ EF than single aerobic exercise or a cognitive task alone, making it a feasible dual-task intervention to enhance college students’ EF and reduce sedentary behavior.

Keywords
Executive function
Cognitive engagement
Acute aerobic exercise
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Health Psychology Research, Print ISSN: 2420-8124, Published by AccScience Publishing
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