4. Discussion
hypoxia
HYPOXIC, HYPOXIA
This experiment is part of a larger project in which previous results have shown negative effects of hypoxic breathing sessions on cognitive functions [Recent review has suggested that exposure to hypoxia may impair cognitive functions [On the other hand, there are studies which reported that the type of exercise, the participants’ level of physical fitness, and the timing of the cognitive task—during or after exercise—all affect the impact of acute exercise on cognitive function [A few limitations of this study must be mentioned. In the future, study groups may be larger in order to examine sex or age differences in terms of executive functions after exercise. Saturation could also be measured post-exercise (if this would not impede the participants cognitive test performance). In future studies, it would also be worth including measurements of the brain tissue oxygenation to examine the various mechanisms causing these alterations. Likewise, other types of exercise with equivalent intensity or chronic training intervention should be taken into account when planning future studies.It is suggested that the combination of exercise duration and intensity, the severity of hypoxia, and the exposure time is what primarily determines the effects of acute exercise and hypoxia on cognitive performance.