Acute Effects of Moderate-Intensity Swimming Exercise on Inhibitory Control, Cognitive Flexibility, and Selective Attention (SWIMCOG)

June 19, 2026 updated by: Görkem Açar

Acute Effects of Moderate-Intensity Freestyle Swimming Exercise on Inhibitory Control, Cognitive Flexibility, and Selective Attention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the acute effects of a single session of moderate-intensity freestyle swimming exercise on cognitive performance in healthy young adults. Cognitive functions such as inhibitory control, selective attention, and cognitive flexibility are essential components of executive functioning and play an important role in academic, occupational, and daily activities.

A total of 60 healthy adults aged 18-35 years will be randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. Participants in the exercise group will complete a 30-minute session of moderate-intensity freestyle swimming, while participants in the control group will undergo passive seated rest for the same duration.

Cognitive performance will be evaluated immediately before and after the intervention using the Eriksen Flanker Task and the Stroop Color-Word Test. These assessments measure reaction time, attention control, information processing speed, and inhibitory control.

The study is designed to determine whether a single bout of swimming exercise can produce immediate improvements in executive functions compared with passive rest. Findings from this research may contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between aerobic exercise and cognitive performance and may help inform exercise-based strategies for enhancing cognitive health and performance in healthy individuals.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

60

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)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34290
        • Istanbul Rumeli University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

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:

  • Healthy adults aged 18 to 35 years.
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision.
  • Right-handed as determined by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory.
  • No history of neurological, psychiatric, or cardiovascular disorders.
  • Engaging in structured exercise fewer than three times per week.
  • Ability to safely participate in moderate-intensity swimming exercise.
  • Provision of written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Use of medications that may affect cognitive performance.
  • Active musculoskeletal injury or pain limiting participation in exercise.
  • Previous experience with the Eriksen Flanker Task or Stroop Color-Word Test.
  • Contraindications to swimming exercise.
  • Participation in vigorous physical activity within 24 hours before testing.
  • Any medical condition considered unsafe for exercise participation by the investigators.

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: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group
Participants assigned to the experimental group completed a single 30-minute session of moderate-intensity freestyle swimming exercise. The exercise protocol included a 5-minute warm-up, 20 minutes of continuous swimming at moderate intensity (approximately 60-70% of age-predicted maximum heart rate), and a 5-minute cool-down period.
Behavioral: Moderate-Intensity Freestyle Swimming Exercise
A single session of moderate-intensity freestyle swimming lasting 30 minutes. The protocol consisted of a 5-minute warm-up, 20 minutes of continuous freestyle swimming performed at approximately 60-70% of age-predicted maximum heart rate, and a 5-minute cool-down. Exercise intensity was monitored using ratings of perceived exertion and heart rate measurements.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants assigned to the control group remained seated at rest for 30 minutes in a quiet environment. During this period, participants were instructed to avoid physical activity and cognitive stimulation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Congruent Flanker Task Reaction Time
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 30-minute intervention session
Mean reaction time during congruent trials of the Eriksen Flanker Task.
Immediately before and immediately after the 30-minute intervention session
Incongruent Flanker Task Reaction Time
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 30-minute intervention session
Mean reaction time during incongruent trials of the Eriksen Flanker Task.
Immediately before and immediately after the 30-minute intervention session
Stroop Test Completion Time
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after the 30-minute intervention session
Total completion time across the Stroop Color-Word Test (TBAG Form), assessing inhibitory control, selective attention, and cognitive flexibility.
Immediately before and immediately after the 30-minute intervention session

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Görkem Açar

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)

May 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 30, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

May 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 19, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRU-2026

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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