Agility Training on Executive Function, Dual Task Performance and Brain Activation in Healthy Adults

Effects of Agility Training on Executive Function, Dual Task Performance and Brain Activation in Healthy Adults

This study will investigate the effect of agility training on executive function, dual task walking and brain activation in healthy adults. Participants (N=70) will be randomly assigned to resistance+aerobic training group (RAeT) or agility training group (AT). Participants in RAeT (n=35) will receive 15-minute lower extremity workout first and then 25-minute moderate intensity (60-75% predicted maximal heart rate) aerobic training. Participants in AT (n=35) will do the agility exercise program consisting of technical drills, pattern running and reactive agility training. The intervention will be twelve-time group intervention (3-5persons) in four weeks, 50 minutes per session (5-minute warmup, 40- minute main training, 5-minute cool-down). Participants will undergo three measurement time points (pre-, post-intervention and one month follow-up). Outcome measures will include executive function (N-back test, stroop test and Wisconsin card sort test), single and dual task walking performance and brain activity (fNIRS on prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area and premotor cortex). Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey post-hoc test will be used to examine the group x time interaction on three outcome measures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) age between 20 to 30 years, and (2) ability to walk 20 meters independently without an assistive device.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) overweight (BMI>24), (2) any smoker or alcohol abusers, (3) suffering from chronic diseases that loss of control, (4) Unstable physiological conditions, such as abnormal signs like high blood pressure, headache, dyspnea, fever, etc., (5) any neuromuscular or cardiopulmonary diseases that would influent the exercise performance, and (6) suffering from diseases which exercises are their contraindications