Do executive function performance, gaze behavior, and pupil size change during incremental acute physical exercise?

Several studies have investigated the interaction between acute physical exercise and cognitive performance. However, few studies have investigated this issue during acute high‐intensity exercise. In the present study, we evaluated executive functions (EFs) during incremental exercise in three different intensities [below lactate threshold (LT), at LT, and above LT], measuring EFs performance, gaze behavior, and pupil diameter. Twenty subjects were familiarized with the EFs test and participated in a graded maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer on the first visit. On the second visit, they performed the EFs task at rest and while exercising at three different intensities using mobile eye‐tracking glasses. Our results showed that the psychophysiological measures differed between the conditions. Regarding EFs performance, during exercise above LT, the subjects showed worse accuracy when compared with rest (p