Dose-response effect of acute resistance exercise on tower of London in middle-aged adults

The present research attempts to evaluate the dose-response relationship between acute resistance exercise and planning. Seventeen participants performed the Tower of London (TOL) in control condition and three different exercise intensity conditions (40%, 70%, and 100% 10-repetition maximal) in a counterbalanced order. The results revealed positive effects of an acute bout of resistance exercise on the TOL. Specifically, a curvilinear trend was observed between exercise intensity and TOL scores that measured performances of "correct" and "move," where moderate intensity demonstrated the most optimal performance compared with the other conditions. None of these differences were found in TOL scores that measure performances of "violation" and "planning speed." These results suggest that acute moderate intensity resistance exercise could facilitate planning-related executive functions in middle-aged adults.