Single bout endurance exercise on perception

Background: Perception is a process of recognizing and interpreting environmental event. It is very important in many professions. Scientists are suggested regular participation in endurance exercise may improve perception. But the data of single bout endurance exercise effect on perception is very limited. Aim: The aim of this study was to find out effect of single bout endurance exercise on perception. Methods: Seven healthy male willing students (aged between 21-23 years) from APC College, Newbarrackpore, West Bengal were selected as the subject for this study. Depth perception was measured with Howard –Dolman Apparatus and Visual perception was measured with Muller-Lyer Apparatus. The average of 5 trials of each test was used for analysis. Ten minutes slow continuous running was conducted as a single bout endurance exercise intervention for this study. The data was recorded prior to pre and after post exercise. Results: Depth perception score of pre and post exercise recording was 3.88±0.32 mm and 3.24±0.18 mm respectively, and the percentage of reduction was 16.34%. In visual perception subjective reading assessment, pre and post exercise recording was 14.10±0.90 cm and 14.08±0.33) cm, and the percentage of change was ignorable (0.20%). In degree of illusion (dI) assessment of visual perception, pre and post exercise recording was 1.89±0.91 cm and 1.92±0.33cm and the percentage of increase was negligible 1.21%. Interpretation: Reduction in depth perception score (improvement) may be due to the single bout endurance exercise effect on information processing, neurotransmitter function, and allocation of attention and memory. Whereas, no visual perception changes may be due to the less impact on retinal and cortical factors. Conclusions: Acute endurance exercise plays an important role in improving depth perception and has potential applications especially in those occupations and performance requiring good depth perceptual sensitivity, judgment of distance and direction.