Reactivity of the Nervous System in Female Students Under Cognitive Load at Mental and Physical Fatigue

Abstract

The specific requirements of educational and professional settings trigger compensatory mechanisms in students, being a high cost of adaptation. The purpose of this study was to examine the physiological responses of female students (athletes and non-athletes) to cognitive testing under fatigue conditions, with particular focus on the functional parameters of the nervous system. Materials and methods. The sample included 23 female students from South-Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University (13 non-athletes) and the Urals State University of Physical Culture (10 gymnasts). All subjects provided their informed consent to participate in the study. For non-athletes, examinations were performed during the semester in the afternoons under mental fatigue conditions. For athletes, examinations were performed during the pre-competition period in the afternoons under both mental and physical fatigue conditions. Sensorimotor parameters were used for the functional assessment of the central nervous system. Autonomic nervous system activity was evaluated through spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Weakly structured data was used as a model of cognitive load. Results. For non-athletes, stable performance and accurate sensorimotor reactions were recorded, coupled with increased inhibition and enhanced activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. For athletes, relatively low performance and accurate sensorimotor reactions were recorded, accompanied by reduced inhibitory reaction times and increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system.