A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan suggests that exercise may impair executive brain performance in low-oxygen settings.

The peer-reviewed study, which was just released in the journal Scientific Reports, discovered that low blood oxygen levels are one of the primary elements that influence executive control-related brain activity and cognitive performance when exercise is performed in low-oxygen situations.

In order to properly govern and coordinate other brain activities, such as memory, emotions, and movements, such as learning, planning, judgment, and decision-making, executive functions are essential for complicated thinking and decision-making.

However, the researchers demonstrated that deficits in brain activity can be avoided by maintaining adequate oxygen levels.

The stoop effect

According to senior author Dr. Genta Ochi, “When blood oxygen levels remained stable during exercise, the Stroop effect was not as pronounced.”

When stimuli are congruent and incongruent, such as when the name of color does not match the color it is printed in, there is a delay in our reaction time known as the Stroop effect.

“In the brain region of interest—the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—there was less of a decrease in activation from the neutral to the incongruent trial,” Ochi continued.

However, it’s possible that areas of the brain with “newer,” less vital processes have lower priority than those that maintain our life, causing the brain to give the latter priority over the former when oxygen is scarce.

Therefore, while performing physical activities that demand judgment and critical thinking in low oxygen settings, it is important to consider the impacts of cognitive fatigue. When doing things like mountaineering, these skills could mean the difference between life and death.

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