The effects of an increase in fitness on a mental performance task of speed and accuracy

The literature on the effects of exercise on mental performance fails to show consistent results. An attempt was made to reconcile these inconsistencies by correcting methodological deficiencies of previous research. Eleven subjects were administered pre-and post-training measures of fitness and mental performance. The fitness measures were heart rate, blood pressure and VO2 Max. Mental measures were the "Digit Symbol" and the "Similarities" sub-tests of the WAIS-R. Subjects rode a stationary bicycle, starting at five and increasing to twenty minutes three times a week, for a six week period. Analysis of data indicated significant improvement in fitness levels and Digit Symbol scores. There were no differences between pre and post-test scores on the similarities task. These results indicate that when experimental variables are carefully controlled, an increase in fitness enhances performance on some mental measures.