Exhaustive exercise and short term memory

Introduction: The brain needs a continuous supply of O2 and its deficiency may interfere with cognitive function. It has been observed that, during the performance of a maximal exercise, in the central nervous system (CNS) increases the use of lactate and glucose. Moreover, it has been described that during a maximal exercise the increase of blood lactate is associated with a worsening of attentive processes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether high levels of Lactate are capable of influencing other cognitive domains as Short-term memory. Materials and methods: Fifteen male and healthy athletes participated in the research. Short-term memory span was carried through the Italian computerized version of Wechsler’s Digit Span. The subjects were asked to perform an incremental cycling test on a mechanically braked cycloergometer. The measurement of values of blood lactate and the assessment of Short-term memory through the Italian computerized version of Wechsler’s Digit Span were performed in three specific moments: 1) at rest (before); 2) immediately after performing an exhaustive exercise (end); 3) 10 minutes after the end of the exercise (10 min). Results: Blood lactate levels increased from 1.5 mmol / l (± 0.21) at rest (pre), to 12.0 mmol / l (± 2.14) immediately after the exercise (end), and decreased to 1.6 mmol / l (± 0.21) 10 min after its conclusion (post). In parallel, we observed that the digit span shows a worsening of short term memory at the end of exercised and returned to the pre-exercise values within 10 min after the conclusion of exercise. Conclusion: The present results show that high levels of blood lactate, as those induced with an exhaustive exercise, influence the cognitive domain of the memory in the same way observed for the cognitive domain of attention.