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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 Feb 25;25(1):169.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-06598-6.

The effects of an 8-week Taekwondo exercise intervention on inhibitory control in university students with depressive symptoms demonstrated the following-evidence from behavior and ERPs

Somang Yun  1 , Zhaohui Guo  1 , Shufan Li  1 , Shuqi Jia  1 , Cong Liu  1 , Xi Wang  1 , Xing Wang  1 , Haiyan Wen  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The effects of an 8-week Taekwondo exercise intervention on inhibitory control in university students with depressive symptoms demonstrated the following-evidence from behavior and ERPs

Somang Yun et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: In university students with depressive symptoms, inhibitory control dysfunctions strongly contribute to functional impairments, yet they are not adequately addressed in current therapies. This study aims to investigate the intervention effect of an 8-week Taekwondo exercise program on inhibitory control in individuals with depressive symptoms.

Methods: A total of 41 university students with depressive symptoms were randomly divided into a Taekwondo group and a control group. The Taekwondo group participated in an 8-week intervention. Behavioral and ERP measures were collected before and after the intervention during a response inhibition task.

Results: 1.The 8-week Taekwondo exercise intervention significantly improved depressive symptoms in the exercise group (P < 0.05), while depressive symptoms in the control group worsened, although the difference was not statistically significant;2.The results from the behavioral task showed a statistically significant difference in accuracy between the Taekwondo group and the control group in the Go condition during the post-test stage (P < 0.05). In the Nogo condition, there was also a significant difference in accuracy between the two groups (P < 0.05). Notably, only the Taekwondo group exhibited a significant improvement in Nogo condition accuracy from pre-test to post-test (P < 0.001);3.The event-related potential (ERP) results revealed a significant time × group interaction effect for N2 amplitude, F(1, 39) = 4.821, P = 0.034, ƞp2=0.110. Additionally, there was a significant condition × electrode interaction effect, F(3, 117) = 18.368, P < 0.001, ƞp2= 0.320. For N2 latency, the time × group interaction effect was significant, F(1, 39) = 13.028, P < 0.001, ƞp2=0.250, and a significant time × condition × electrode interaction effect was also observed, F(3, 117) = 3.199, P = 0.026, ƞp2 = 0.076.

Conclusion: Regular moderate-intensity Taekwondo exercise can effectively improve response inhibition in university students with depressive symptoms, along with improvements in depressive symptoms. The changes in N2 amplitude and latency at the Fz, Cz, and Pz electrode sites under task conditions may represent the cognitive neural processing mechanism through which Taekwondo enhances response inhibition in students with depressive symptoms.

Keywords: Depressive symptoms; ERPs; Physical exercise; Response inhibition; Taekwondo; University students.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Shanghai Sport University (Ethics Registration Number: 102772023RT075). All participants provided written informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study. They were informed of the study’s purpose, procedures, potential risks, and benefits, as well as their right to withdraw at any time without penalty. For participants diagnosed with depressive symptoms, additional care was taken to ensure they fully understood the study procedures, and resources for mental health support were made available as needed. The confidentiality and anonymity of all participants were strictly maintained throughout the research process. Consent for publication: All authors consented to the publication of the manuscript. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of recruitment
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flowchart of Go/Nogo task
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Exercise program
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Flowchart of study experimental Procedure
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Changes in BDI-II Scores of the Taekwondo Group and Control Group Before and After 8 Weeks
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Difference scalp maps and waveforms averaged across a region-of that the electrodes (Fz, Cz, Pz, Oz) by treatment
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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