Perceptual and MotorSkills, 1995, 80, 15-26. O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1995 INFORMATION PROCESSING AND CONCENTRATION AS A FUNCTION OF FITNESS LEVEL AND EXERCISE-INDUCED ACTIVATION TO EXHAUSTION ' ANTONIOS K. TRAVLOS AND DANIEL Q. MARISI Department of Physical Education and Sport Studies Universiiy o/ Alberta Deparhent of Physical Education McGill University Summary.-To examine the effects of increasing amounts of exercise on attention and speed of information processing 20 paid male subjects were separated into groups of high and low Fitness according to their V02max values. The experiment involved an attentional task (Random Number Generation) that was given after every 10 min. of cycling at work-load resistances calculated as 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% of in- dividual VOzmax values. An eight-choice reaction time-movement time task was given before and after exercise as well as after a 15-min. recovery period. Individuals were tested within 10 rnin. after exercise cessation (exhaustion) for concentration and with- in 15 min. for choice reaction time and movement time to assess whether fitness dif- ferentially interacted with these variables. Split-plot factorial analyses of variance sug- gested that the CNS appeared capable of maintaining performance after 50 min. of ex- haustive exercise compared to values obtained at the preexercise condition. A 15-min. recovery period sigdicantly impaired MT but relatively highly fit individuals did not appear to perform the choice RT and concentration tasks better than individuals low in fitness. Empirical research has produced conflicting findings regarding the ef- fects of physical arousal on mental functioning [see Tomporowski and Ellis (1986) for a review]. Researchers have reported that exercise facilitates cog- nitive abilities during physical exertion (Andreassi, 1965; Bills & Stauffacher, 1937; Courts, 1939; McGlynn, Laughlin, & Bender, 1977; Stauffacher, 1937), after physical exertion (Gliner, Matsen-Twisdale, Horvath, & Maron, 1979), and both during and after physical exertion (McGlynn, Laughlin, & Rowe, 1979). Other researchers have provided evidence for a curvilinear re- lationship between exercise and performance on cognitive tasks (Burgess & Hokanson, 1964; Davey, 1973; Gupta, Sharma, & Jaspal, 1974; Heckler & Croce, 1992; Levitt & Gutin, 1971; Reilly & Smith, 1984, 1986; Stauf- facher, 1937). The latter group of studies reported fachtation on mental tasks for subjects following moderately intense exercise but no effects under exercise of low and high intensity. Researchers also reported the negative consequences of exercise on mental functioning after exercise (Gutin & Di- Gennaro, 1968b; Hancock & McNaughton, 1986; Krus, Wapner, & Werner, 1958). Moreover, studies by Gutin and DiGennaro (1968a), Flynn (1972), Phillips (1963), Tomporowski, Ellis, and Stephens (1987), Williams, Pot- 'Address correspondence to A. K. Travlos, 4 Solomonidou Street, Kesariani, Athens, 161 21 Greece.