Affective responses to single bouts of exercise are likely to influence the long-term adherence to exercise programs. It is, therefore, important from a public health perspective to understand the factors that influence these affective responses. One factor that has received relatively little attention is the intensity of exercise. The purpose of the present study was to examine (a) the affective responses that occur during and after exercise performed at three intensities and (b) the patterns of correlations of these responses with three cognitive (self-efficacy, affect intensity, boredom proneness) and one physiological (percentage of maximal heart rate) variables. The methodology differed from previous studies in three respects: (a) affect was assessed from a dimensional perspective using the circumplex model, (b) the levels of exercise intensity were determined in relation to the ventilatory threshold (VT), and (c) data analysis included an examination of responses at the level of individuals. Thirty healthy volunteers ran on a treadmill for 15 min at an intensity that was 20% lower than ("moderate"), similar to ("heavy"), or 10% higher than their VT ("severe"). In all three conditions, there were significant declines in affective valence over the course of the run, with the greatest and least variable declines in the severe condition. After a 5 min cool-down, the participants reported a significant improvement in valence which was largest in the severe condition. The few significant differences in the patterns of correlations found between intensity conditions did not allow for any definitive conclusions. These findings show that the intensity of exercise can influence affective responses during exercise. Exercisers should receive instructions on how to recognize the affective and perceptual cues associated with the transition to anaerobic metabolism and how to regulate the intensity of their efforts accordingly.
My Research