Efeito agudo do HIIT e do alongamento no controle inibitório, desempenho matemático e na variabilidade da frequência cardíaca: um ensaio randomizado e cruzado

Abstract

Introduction: High level of test anxiety (TA) is considered a risk factor for poor academic performance and worsening well-being in students. Objective: To evaluate the effect of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIT) or static stretching (SS) on mathematical performance, inhibitory control and their respective manifestations on HRV, in children with test anxiety. Methodology: Randomized and crossover trial, with 71 schoolchildren aged 10.98±1.01 years, divided into two groups according to the Test Anxiety Scale (Westside): low TA (LTA, 20), TA (MTA, 18) and high TA (HTA, 33). The Mathematical Arithmetic Test (AMT), Flanke's Inhibitory Control Test and Mathematical Word Problem Test (WMPT) were performed before and after 11 minutes of exercise. HIIT and SS physical exercises were performed for 4 minutes, with 8 series of 20 seconds of maximum effort and 10 seconds of passive rest. The HRV was recorded using a validated device (Polar® V800) and the segments corresponding to rest and tests, pre and post exercise, by the analysands. Inter and intragroup comparisons were carried out by statistical estimation, to assess the effect of the ATM, WMPT and flanker test on SampEn in the LTA, MTA and HTA groups, as well as the effect of exercise. Results: The comparative analysis of the WMPT revealed that the HTA group had worse performance in the test when compared to the LTA and MTA groups (MTA: d= 0.696, p= 0.019; LTA: d= 0.955, p= 0.0006), as well as in the AMT test (MTA: D=0.721, CI=0.114, 1.3, p=0.0128; LTA: D=1.22, CI=0.623, 1.86, p=0.0). After HIIT, an improvement in the performance of the WMPT test was observed in the LTA, MTA and HTA groups (LTA: d = 0.387, p= 0.0028; MTA: d= 0.269, p= 0.0144: HTA: d = 0.231, p = 0.014). SS provoked a small improvement only in the MTA and HTA group (MTA: D= 0.307, CI= 0.0503, 0.541, p= 0.0326; HTA: d = 0.446, CI 0.223, 0.715, p = 0.0002). After SS, only the LTA and MTA groups had improvement in the AMT (LTA: d = 0.218, p= 0.0182; MTA: d= 0.273, p= 0.0296). However, HIIT was able to provoke improvement in all groups (LTA: d = 0.212, p = 0.0024; MTA: d= 0.203, p= 0.0268; HTA: d= 0.273, p= 0.0296). The performance in the Flanker test revealed that the HTA group has worse inhibitory control when compared to all groups. HIIT exercise also produced positive effects on inhibitory control, reducing latency in incongruent situations in all groups and improving conflict cost in the LTA and HTA groups. Conclusion: High TA levels impair performance on mathematical tests, inhibitory control and reduction in HRV complexity. However, only 4 minutes of HIIT and Stretching are able to improve performance in tests of mathematical performance and inhibitory control in children with TA, in addition, SS is able to improve the complexity of HRV in children with HTA