The Joint Effect of Air Pollution and Exercise on Cognitive Function

December 6, 2025 updated by: Jianxiu Liu, Tsinghua University
A double-blind randomized controlled trial design is used in this study. A mixed design of 2 (pollution reduction group vs. no pollution reduction group) × 3 (high intensity intermittent exercise [HIIT], moderate intensity of aerobic exercise [MICT] and control group [CONT]) is used. 93 subjects recruited by advertising will be randomly divided into 6 groups: high intensity exercise group (pollution reduction vs no pollution reduction), moderate intensity aerobic exercise group (pollution reduction vs no pollution reduction) and Stretching group (Control) (pollution reduction vs no pollution reduction).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Environmental intervention program In the pollution reduction groups, the air purification system is used 2 hours before the subjects entered the room to minimize the indoor PM2.5 and PM10.

Exercise intervention program including HIIT, MICT and Stretching (Control) group :

The VO2max of all subjects are measured one week before the experiment. HIIT program: 20 minutes exercise of HIIT (1min of 100% VO2max and 1min of 50% VO2max alternately) and 10 minutes of warm-up and relaxation.

MICT program: 20 minutes exercise of 70-75% VO2max and 10 minutes of warm-up and relaxation.

Stretching control group: 30 minutes of stretching, posture adjustment and rehabilitation courses taught by professional therapists.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
93

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Beijing Municipality
      • Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China, 100084
        • Tsinghua University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 30 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • No regular exercise in the past six months;
  • Healthy people without history of disease;
  • Aged between 20 and 30 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Professional athletes;
  • Regular exercise in the past six months;
  • People who are injured or have a history of disease in the past six months;
  • People who have a history of taking medicine in the past six months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: High intensity intermittent training
HIIT exercise program: 20 minutes HIIT exercise (1min 100% VO2max and 1min 50% VO2max alternately), and warm-up and relaxation before and after exercise for 10 minutes.
Behavioral: Exercise
Two types of exercise intervention and control group
Experimental: HIIT with pollution reduction
HIIT program: 20 minutes HIIT exercise (1min 100% VO2max and 1min 50% VO2max alternately), and warm-up and relaxation before and after exercise for 10 minutes; Environmental pollution intervention program: air purification system is used order to reduce the PM2.5 and PM10.
Behavioral: Exercise
Two types of exercise intervention and control group
Behavioral: Air purification
Air purification in order to reduce the PM2.5 and PM10
Experimental: Moderate intensity continuous training
MICT program: 20 minutes of 70-75% VO2max exercise and 10 minutes of warm-up and relaxation before and after exercise.
Behavioral: Exercise
Two types of exercise intervention and control group
Experimental: MICT with pollution reduction
MICT program: 20 minutes of 70-75% VO2max exercise and 10 minutes of warm-up and relaxation before and after exercise; Environmental pollution intervention program: air purification system is used order to reduce the PM2.5 and PM10.
Behavioral: Exercise
Two types of exercise intervention and control group
Behavioral: Air purification
Air purification in order to reduce the PM2.5 and PM10
Experimental: Stretch control group
Stretching control group: 30 minutes stretching, posture adjustment and rehabilitation courses is taught by professional therapist.
Behavioral: Exercise
Two types of exercise intervention and control group
Experimental: Control with pollution reduction

Stretching control group: 30 minutes stretching, posture adjustment and rehabilitation courses is taught by professional therapist.

Environmental pollution intervention program: air purification system is used order to reduce the PM2.5 and PM10.
Behavioral: Exercise
Two types of exercise intervention and control group
Behavioral: Air purification
Air purification in order to reduce the PM2.5 and PM10

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change of cognitive function
Time Frame: Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
Cognitive function measured by computer-based tasks including executive function
Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
Change of biomarkers
Time Frame: Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
The cognitive-related biomarkers including brain derived neurotrophic factor
Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
Change of oxyhemoglobin
Time Frame: Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
Mearsurement of oxyhemoglobin using fNIRS
Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
Change of transcriptions
Time Frame: Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
The molecular response of exercise and environment through the measurement of peripheral blood
Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
Change of metabonomics
Time Frame: Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
The molecular response of exercise and environment through the measurement of peripheral blood
Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
Change of cerebral blood flow
Time Frame: Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).
The blood flow of middle cerebral artery measured by ultrasonic doppler
Before and after acute exercise (about 30 minutes).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change of cognitive function
Time Frame: Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Cognitive function measured by computer-based tasks including executive function
Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Change of aerobic capacity
Time Frame: Three months (from baseline to the third month)
The aerobic capacity measured by the gas metabolism analyzer
Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Change of cerebral blood flow
Time Frame: Three months (from baseline to the third month)
The blood flow of middle cerebral artery measured by ultrasonic doppler
Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Change of biomarkers
Time Frame: Three months (from baseline to the third month)
The cognitive-related biomarkers including brain derived neurotrophic factor
Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Change of oxyhemoglobin
Time Frame: Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Mearsurement of oxyhemoglobin using functional near infrared spectroscopy
Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Change of metabonomics
Time Frame: Three months (from baseline to the third month)
The molecular response of exercise through the measurement of peripheral blood
Three months (from baseline to the third month)
Change of transcriptions
Time Frame: Three months (from baseline to the third month)
The molecular response of exercise through the measurement of peripheral blood
Three months (from baseline to the third month)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Tsinghua University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Qian Di, Sc.D., Wanke School of public health, Tsinghua University
  • Study Chair: Xindong Ma, PhD, Department of physical education, Tsinghua University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 30, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 30, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 29, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 1, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 2, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 15, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 6, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • THU2021

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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