Resumen :
Se ha demostrado que la función cognitiva y el bienestar psicológico, factores importantes en la salud mental de la población, pueden mejorar con el ejercicio físico a nivel agudo y crónico. Sin embargo, existe una gran heterogeneidad en cuanto a la magnitud de los resultados desconociéndose las ca... Ver más
It has been demonstrated that the cognitive function and the psychological well-being, that are considered essential factors in the mental health of the population, can improve with physical exercise at the acute and chronic levels. However, there is a significant heterogeneity regarding the magnitude of the results, and the optimal characteristics of sessions or exercise programs to induce these effects, as well as the moderators and potential mechanisms that may be contributing, remain unknown. Therefore, the main aim of this doctoral thesis was to analyse the acute and chronic effects of physical exercise on the cognitive function and the psychological well-being of young university students, considering el released lactate (as a measure of the exercise intensity), the genetic polymorphism of BDNF, and the psychological well-being itself, as potential neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the effects of exercise on the cognitive function of young university students. In an initial research (chronic study), a 10-week high intensity functional training (HIFT) program was planned to assess its influence in the processing speed, as a measure of the cognitive function, and in the affective state and subjective vitality, as measures of the psychological well-being. In a subsequent research, (acute study 1), the influence of different exercise intensities, such as moderate exercise (MICT) and the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) was assessed in the processing speed, the psychological well-being (following the approach of the first research, but in this case, at an acute level), and furthermore, in a more complex cognitive variable as it is the inhibitory control, studying associated lactate levels, the genetic polymorphism of BDNF and the psychological well-being as potential underlying mechanisms of the cognitive response. In the last research (acute study 2), the focus was on cognitive variables specifically dependent on the hippocampus, as those related to memory, from a perspective based on the potential neurobiological mechanisms (lactate and BDNF polymorphism). The key findings of the research showed that high intensity exercise can achieve positive results in the different dimensions of the cognitive function, both at an acute level, to a greater extent than MICT, and at a chronic one. Regarding psychological well-being, there seems to be a positive impact of exercise at an acute level, both with HIIT and MICT, although MICT could have a greater impact in this assignment. However, improvements could not be confirmed in well-being at a chronic level following the HIFT program. Regarding potential underlying mechanisms in cognitive improvements, analysed at an acute level, relationships between cognitive changes and lactate released with exercise were observed, from a neurobiological point of view and also with some components from the psychological well-being itself, from a psychosocial/behavioral perspective. Nevertheless, the BDNF polymorphism did not seem to affect the cognitive results. Finally, there is a need for further research to analyse the cognitive response to exercise from a perspective that considers different moderators and underlying mechanisms responsible for this relationship.
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