INTRODUCTION: While previous research has shown that single bouts of acute exercise can enhance cognitive performance, the physiological mechanisms behind this remain unclear. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) constitutes a promising tool to capture brain activity in this research field, but the feasibility of implementing such setups in combination with stationary cycling has not yet been evaluated. Thus, in this exploratory feasibility and methodological validation study, we investigated (1) procedural feasibility of the experimental protocol and (2) scientific feasibility, including dual-metric data quality assessment via scalp coupling index (SCI) and quality testing of near-infrared scans (QT-NIRS), as well as behavioral and prefrontal hemodynamic indicators of n-back task engagement.

METHODS: -coefficients derived from SCI- and QT-NIRS-based pruning (Lin's concordance correlation coefficient, CCC), and n-back task sensitivity via accuracy, reaction time, and load-dependent prefrontal hemodynamic responses.

RESULTS: -agreement between techniques (oxyHb CCC = 0.958; deoxyHb CCC = 0.983) suggested that good quality data were retrieved from the setup. N-back task behavioral and hemodynamic outcomes were load-dependent.

DISCUSSION: These findings provide preliminary support for the scientific feasibility of assessing n-back task-induced changes in PFC activation using fNIRS. Future studies should consider minor adjustments to pre-experimental design and fitness assessment to potentially reduce attrition and improve target exercise load estimation.