Aim. This paper presents the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in young adults. We set a hypothesis that there might be a relationship between the level of physical activity and psychomotor response on the Trial Making Test (TMT). Physical exercise influences on many aspects of cognitive functioning and has a huge effect on the general mental health. The benefits of exercise are best defined in the field of learning, memorizing of executive functions, protection from neurodegenerative changes and onset of depression. Methods. This investigation included 90 healthy subjects with mean age of 21.2 years, range from 16 to 35 years, divided into three groups according to the level of physical activity: low, moderate and high. Each group consisted of 30 subjects, adjusted by gender, age and level of education. TMT was applied and it assessed visual conceptual abilities and visual motor tracking. Results. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference of the TMT results between the examined groups. Subjects in the group with a low level of physical activity required a longer time to finish both parts of the test (TMT A=31.98 ± 10.14; TMT B=79.70 ± 22.33) than subjects in the group with a moderate level of physical activity (26.37±9.45; 68.23 ± 22.39). Time necessary for completion of the test in the group with a moderate level of physical activity was longer (25.30 ± 5.12; 60.67 ± 14.24) than in athletes but without a statistical significance. Conclusion. The results obtained support the hypothesis that physical activity can have a positive impact on psychomotor abilities in young adults.
Key words: physical activity, cognitive function, Trail Making Test, psychomotor speed, young adults.
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