Effects of Exercise Snacks on Physical Health and Cognitive Function in Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

Overview

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder accompanied by sedentary lifestyles, which worsens cognitive function and physical health. Short-duration high-frequency exercise snacks (ES) may be a feasible intervention for adults with ID. This randomized controlled crossover study aims to explore the acute effects of exercise snacks, conventional HIIT and daily routine control on cognitive function, stereotyped behaviors and prefrontal cortex activation in adults with mild to moderate ID. All participants will receive three intervention conditions with a 1-week washout period between each trial. Neurophysiological indicators including EEG and heart rate variability will be measured to reveal the underlying mechanisms.

Background: Adults with intellectual disability commonly maintain sedentary daily routines, resulting in progressive decline in physical fitness and cognitive performance. Traditional long-duration exercise interventions are difficult to implement for this population due to behavioral and cognitive limitations. Exercise snacks, consisting of repeated ultra-short exercise bursts, are easy to carry out and show promising benefits for cognition. Methods: A randomized controlled crossover design will be adopted. Twenty-four adults aged 18-35 years with mild to moderate ID will complete three conditions in random sequence: no-exercise control, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and exercise snacks (ES). A 1-week washout interval separates different interventions. Intervention protocols: 1. Control: maintain habitual daily activities. 2. HIIT: one afternoon session, 10 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest. 3. ES: morning and afternoon sessions every day; each session contains 5 sets of 6-second high-knee exercise with 9 seconds rest. Main measurements include prefrontal cortex activation via EEG, cognitive function, stereotyped behaviors, and heart rate variability. Repeated-measures statistical models will be used for data analysis.