Acute Neurochemical and Cognitive Changes After HIIT vs MICT/LICT (ANCCR)

January 30, 2026 updated by: serkan pancar, Aksaray University Training and Research Hospital

Acute Neurochemical and Cognitive Responses to High Intensity Interval Training vs. Moderate- and Low-Intensity Continuous Training in Young Adult Males

This study examines whether the intensity of a single running session changes a blood marker related to brain health (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF), blood lactate, and performance on a short thinking task that measures attention and self-control (the Stroop test) in healthy young adult men.

Twelve healthy males (18-25 years) will complete four separate sessions in a randomized, counterbalanced order, with at least 7 days between sessions. Each session includes an 8-minute warm-up followed by 24 minutes of one of the following conditions: low-intensity continuous running, moderate-intensity continuous running, high-intensity interval running (repeated 15-second fast runs with 15-second passive rest, organized into sets), or a seated rest control session. Running pace will be individualized based on a prior fitness test.

A small venous blood sample (about 8 mL) will be collected immediately before and within 1 minute after each session. After each session, participants will complete the Stroop test. The main outcomes are the before-to-after changes in serum BDNF, blood lactate, and Stroop test performance across the four conditions.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

12

Phase

  • 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

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Center
      • Aksaray, Center, Turkey (Türkiye), 68000
        • Aksaray 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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged between 18 and 25 years
  • No known medical condition that prevents participation in exercise
  • Not currently using any pharmacological agents

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Experiencing any discomfort before, during, or after exercise
  • Current or past diagnosis of pharmacological or doping substance use
  • Engaging in regular exercise (more than 3 times per week) within the last 2 weeks
  • History of alcohol or substance addiction
  • Any other condition or factor that may prevent full participation in the study protocol

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control
Participants remained seated quietly at rest for 24 minutes in a quiet, well-lit room, matched to the exercise sessions for time schedule and environmental conditions. No physical activity was performed during this period.
Experimental: Low-intensity continuous training
They were asked to perform low intensity exercise for the specified time, determined according to their maximal oxygen consumption capacity.
Behavioral: Low Intensity Exercise
Participants ran continuously for 24 minutes at 50-60% of their MAS without rest
Experimental: Moderate-intensity continuous training
They were asked to perform moderate intensity exercise for the specified time, determined according to their maximal oxygen consumption capacity.
Behavioral: Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise
Participants completed a continuous 24-min running bout at 70-80% of their MAS. The exercise was performed at a steady, uninterrupted pace throughout the session, with no planned rest periods. Participants were instructed to maintain the prescribed pace for the entire duration
Experimental: High-intensity interval training
They were asked to perform HIIT exercise for the specified time, determined according to their maximal oxygen consumption capacity.
Behavioral: High-Intensity Interval Training
Participants performed 15-s running bouts at 110-120% of MAS, with the target distance for each bout pre-calculated from individual MAS (speed × time). Running was conducted shuttle-style between two cones. At the whistle, participants ran from one cone to the other for 15 s and then remained standing still for a 15-s passive rest at that cone. At the next whistle, they ran back in the opposite direction, followed by another 15-s stationary recovery. This 15-s run/15-s recovery cycle continued for 3 min, constituting one set (6 runs and 6 recovery intervals per set). Four sets were completed, separated by 3-min passive inter-set rest, resulting in a total session duration of 24 min

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Lactate
Time Frame: Baseline, Immediately After Exercise (Day 1)
Lactate levels were measured in millimoles per liter (mmol/L) from capillary/venous blood samples taken before and after exercise using a lactate analyzer.
Baseline, Immediately After Exercise (Day 1)
BDNF
Time Frame: Baseline, Immediately After Exercise (Day 1)
BDNF levels were measured using a Sunred brand ELISA kit from blood samples taken baseline and after exercise, and the results were reported in ng/mL units.
Baseline, Immediately After Exercise (Day 1)
Stroop Test
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after exercise (Day 1)
Stroop test performance will be assessed as an indicator of executive function, primarily selective attention and inhibitory control. In this task, participants are required to identify the ink color of presented stimuli while suppressing the automatic tendency to read the written word, particularly during incongruent trials (e.g., the word "red" printed in blue ink). The test will be administered immediately after each session. Outcomes will include reaction time and accuracy (and/or an interference score derived from incongruent vs. congruent conditions). Reaction time will be recorded in seconds (s), with poorer performance reflected by slower responses and/or more errors.
Baseline and immediately after exercise (Day 1)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Aksaray University Training and Research Hospital

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)

August 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 20, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

September 25, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 30, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 185-8/10

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

A key risk is participant re-identification due to the small sample size and the presence of biomarker and performance data that could enable triangulation, even after de-identification.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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