Cycling on a Bike Desk Positively Influences Cognitive Performance.

Torbeyns, Tine; de Geus, Bas; Bailey, Stephen; De Pauw, Kevin; Decroix, Lieselot; Van Cutsem, Jeroen; Meeusen, Romain · 2016 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165510

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Summary

This study investigated whether low-intensity stationary cycling on a bike desk impairs or enhances cognitive performance and typing efficiency compared to sedentary sitting. Motivated by the health risks associated with prolonged sedentary behavior and conflicting prior evidence regarding the impact of active workstations on work efficiency, the researchers aimed to determine if cycling at 30% of maximal power output ($W_{max}$) affects executive functions, attention, and motor tasks. The study specifically hypothesized that adequate familiarization with the dual-task nature of cycling while working would prevent performance deterioration and potentially improve cognitive outcomes due to increased arousal. The experimental design involved 23 volunteers with sedentary occupations who underwent two familiarization sessions before completing a test battery while either sitting on a conventional chair or cycling at 30% $W_{max}$. The test battery included a typing transcription test, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) for short-term memory, the Stroop test for selective attention and response inhibition, and the Rosvold Continuous Performance Test (RCPT) for sustained attention. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during the Stroop and RCPT tasks to analyze event-related potentials (ERPs), specifically the N200, P300, N450, and conflict slow potential, which reflect neural processes related to conflict monitoring, stimulus evaluation, and attentional resource allocation. Statistical analyses compared performance metrics and ERP latencies/amplitudes between the two conditions. The results indicated that typing performance and short-term memory, as measured by the RAVLT, did not significantly differ between the cycling and sitting conditions. Similarly, accuracy on the Stroop and RCPT tasks remained unchanged. However, reaction times on both the Stroop test and the RCPT were significantly shorter during cycling ($p < 0.05$), indicating faster response speeds. In terms of neural activity, there were no significant differences in the latency or amplitude of the N200, P300, N450, or conflict SP components between conditions, suggesting that the underlying neural mechanisms for conflict detection and stimulus evaluation were not altered by the physical activity. The study concludes that cycling at 30% $W_{max}$ does not deteriorate typing performance or short-term memory and positively influences response speed in tasks requiring attention and inhibition. These findings suggest that bike desks can be effectively integrated into office environments without compromising work efficiency, while potentially offering benefits in processing speed. The lack of change in ERP components implies that the improved reaction times are not due to altered neural resource allocation strategies but may reflect a general increase in vigilance or arousal associated with light exercise. This supports the implementation of active workstations as a viable strategy to reduce sedentary time while maintaining or enhancing cognitive performance.

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• cognitive capacity variation