The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.

Physical or cognitive exercises before motor skill learning are increasingly examined as a means to optimize performance during acquisition and consolidation processes. However, their respective effects remain underexplored in explicit sequential motor learning (SML). In this study, we examined whet...

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Main Authors: Guillaume Digonet, Thomas Lapole, Gabrielle Pouilloux, Ursula Debarnot
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327725
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author Guillaume Digonet
Thomas Lapole
Gabrielle Pouilloux
Ursula Debarnot
author_facet Guillaume Digonet
Thomas Lapole
Gabrielle Pouilloux
Ursula Debarnot
author_sort Guillaume Digonet
collection DOAJ
description Physical or cognitive exercises before motor skill learning are increasingly examined as a means to optimize performance during acquisition and consolidation processes. However, their respective effects remain underexplored in explicit sequential motor learning (SML). In this study, we examined whether different types of acute exercises such as sprint interval exercise, cognitive exercise, and a combination of both executed prior to explicit SML could modulate motor performance during acquisition and consolidation relative to a control group performing a neutral task. A total of 60 participants were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental groups. The psychophysiological modulations induced by the exercises were assessed using the NASA-TLX questionnaire and blood lactate measurements. Motor performance was evaluated at the beginning and the end of SML acquisition (early- and late-acquisition) and following delayed consolidation at 24h and one week later. Physical exercise elicited an increase in both lactate levels and subjective physical demand, while cognitive exercise increased mental demand. Overall, motor performance improved during both acquisition and consolidation at 24h and a week later, but without any difference between groups. Our findings suggest that neither sprint interval exercise, cognitive exercise, nor their combined execution prior to explicit SML significantly influences motor skill performance during acquisition and consolidation compared to a control intervention, although this absence of significant effects should be interpreted with caution.
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spelling doaj-art-13896bbbfd3640bb96aae77fc28138ac2025-08-20T03:27:57ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01207e032772510.1371/journal.pone.0327725The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.Guillaume DigonetThomas LapoleGabrielle PouillouxUrsula DebarnotPhysical or cognitive exercises before motor skill learning are increasingly examined as a means to optimize performance during acquisition and consolidation processes. However, their respective effects remain underexplored in explicit sequential motor learning (SML). In this study, we examined whether different types of acute exercises such as sprint interval exercise, cognitive exercise, and a combination of both executed prior to explicit SML could modulate motor performance during acquisition and consolidation relative to a control group performing a neutral task. A total of 60 participants were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental groups. The psychophysiological modulations induced by the exercises were assessed using the NASA-TLX questionnaire and blood lactate measurements. Motor performance was evaluated at the beginning and the end of SML acquisition (early- and late-acquisition) and following delayed consolidation at 24h and one week later. Physical exercise elicited an increase in both lactate levels and subjective physical demand, while cognitive exercise increased mental demand. Overall, motor performance improved during both acquisition and consolidation at 24h and a week later, but without any difference between groups. Our findings suggest that neither sprint interval exercise, cognitive exercise, nor their combined execution prior to explicit SML significantly influences motor skill performance during acquisition and consolidation compared to a control intervention, although this absence of significant effects should be interpreted with caution.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327725
spellingShingle Guillaume Digonet
Thomas Lapole
Gabrielle Pouilloux
Ursula Debarnot
The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.
PLoS ONE
title The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.
title_full The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.
title_fullStr The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.
title_full_unstemmed The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.
title_short The effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning: An exploratory study.
title_sort effects of acute physical and cognitive exercises on sequential motor skill learning an exploratory study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327725
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