--- - |2+ Key points Some cortical areas are believed to transmit a descending signal in association with motor intention and/or effort that regulates the cardiovascular system during exercise (termed central command). However, there was no evidence for the specific cortical area responding prior to arbitrary motor execution and in proportion to the motor effort. Using a multichannel near‐infrared spectroscopy system, we found that the oxygenation of the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices on the right side increases in a feedforward‐ and motor effort‐dependent manner during voluntary one‐armed cranking with the right arm. This finding may suggest a role of the dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortices in triggering off central command and may help us to understand impaired regulation of the cardiovascular system in association with lesion of the prefrontal cortex. Abstract Output from higher brain centres (termed central command) regulates the cardiovascular system during exercise in a feedforward‐ and motor effort‐dependent manner. This study aimed to determine a cortical area responding prior to arbitrarily started exercise and in proportion to the effort during exercise. The oxygenation responses in the frontal and frontoparietal areas during one‐armed cranking with the right arm were measured using multichannel near‐infrared spectroscopy, as indexes of regional blood flow responses, in 20 subjects. The intensity of voluntary exercise was 30% and 60% of the maximal voluntary effort (MVE). At the start period of both voluntary cranking tasks, the oxygenation increased (P < 0.05) only in the lateral and dorsal part of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and sensorimotor cortices. Then, the oxygenation increased gradually in all cortical areas during cranking at 60% MVE, while oxygenation increased only in the frontoparietal area and some of the frontal area during cranking at 30% MVE. The rating of perceived exertion to the cranking tasks correlated (P < 0.05) with the oxygenation responses on the right side of the lateral‐DLPFC (r = 0.46) and VLPFC (r = 0.48) and the frontopolar areas (r = 0.47–0.49). Motor‐driven passive one‐armed cranking decreased the oxygenation in most cortical areas, except the contralateral frontoparietal areas. Accordingly, the lateral‐DLPFC and VLPFC on the right side would respond in a feedforward‐ and motor effort‐dependent manner during voluntary exercise with the right arm. Afferent inputs from mechanosensitive afferents may decrease the cortical oxygenation. - 'The Journal of Physiology, Volume 596, Issue 21, Page 5099-5118, 1 November 2018. '