Journal of Ergonomics
Open Access

Abstract

Wearing Ergonomically Designed Core Stability Shorts Improves Cognitive Control and Affect Following Acute Aerobic Exercise

Seongryu Bae, Keita Kamijo and Hiroaki Masaki

This study examined whether wearing a pair of core-supporting gym shorts influenced cognitive control and mood state follows aerobic exercise in young adults. Cognitive performance and the event related P3 potential were measured. Twenty-four adults were assigned to either the core-supporting shorts group or the normal shorts group. Participants completed 30 minutes of an acute treadmill exercise involving walking and/or running at an intensity of 70% HRmax. They next performed a modified Sternberg memory task, in which participants encoded a letter array and determine if a probe letter had been presented in the preceding set of memory items. Results indicated that the core-supporting shorts group exhibited greater response accuracy and larger P3 amplitudes as compared to the normal shorts group. In addition, the core-supporting shorts group reported more pleasantness and relaxation than the normal shorts group. These results suggest that wearing the core-supporting shorts improves the cognitive control associated with working memory and induces a positive effect as well.