The Effect of Resistance Exercise Movement Tempo on Psychophysiological Responses in Novice Men

Effectiveness of an affect-adjusted, supervised, multimodal, online and home-based exercise group protocol for major depression: A randomized controlled trial

This randomized controlled trial investigated the effectiveness of an affect-adjusted, supervised, multimodal, online, and home-based exercise group protocol as an adjunct therapy to antidepressants on depressive symptoms, cardiorespiratory fitness, and side effects related to antidepressants in adults with major depression (MDD, diagnosed by a clinician). Depressive symptom scales were administered by a psychiatrist and self-reported. A health-related measure (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness), was also administered. The exercise intervention was adjusted by perceived effort and affect (pleasure and enjoyment) toward exercise and lasted 12 weeks. In total, 59 adults with MDD were divided into two groups: the exercise-group (EG; exercise + pharmacotherapy) with 26-patients (76.9 % females, mean age 28.5 years) and the control-group (CG, pharmacotherapy) with 33-patients (78.7 % females, mean age 25.6 years). The EG had a lower dropout rate (15.3 %) than CG and an increase in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), which was not observed in the CG. Both groups showed a decrease in self-reported depressive symptoms. However, the EG had significantly lower depressive symptom scores at t1 and t2. The EG also had higher remission rates (t1, EG: = 42.3 % and CG = 27.2 %) and remission rates (t2, EG: = 72.7 % and CG = 48.1 %) than CG, which were maintained during the four month follow-up. Side effects from anti-depressant medication were larger in the EG compared to CG. Complementing usual care for MDD with exercise resulted in better clinical outcomes and supports the use of this type of exercise protocol in the clinical management of depression.

Assessing affective valence and activation in resistance training with the feeling scale and the felt arousal scale: A systematic review

Evidence suggests affective responses to exercise can influence exercise adherence. However, there is a limited understanding of how and when to measure core affect in resistance training. As such, the objective of this systematic review was to analyze how the Feeling Scale and/or the Felt Arousal Scale have been used in resistance training to assess core affect. Focus was given to the contextual feasibility, timing, and frequency of assessment. A search in PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO databases was conducted (last search date July, 2022) with the purpose of including experimental and non-experimental studies, utilizing the Feeling Scale and/or the Felt Arousal Scale in resistance training, and focused on apparently healthy individuals of any age. Twenty-seven studies (N = 718 participants) published between 2009-2022 were qualitatively analyzed. Both scales appeared to be able to detect core affect within a wide array of intensities, ages, and equipment. As for the timing and frequency of measurement, no apparent standardization was evident. The use of the Feeling Scale, the Felt Arousal Scale, or both, to measure core affect appears to be feasible in resistance training practices. However, a lack of methodological background raises concerns regarding the quality of previous studies' assessments and comparisons of results across studies.

Set to Fail: Affective Dynamics in a Resistance Training Program Designed to Reach Muscle Concentric Failure

Grounded in hedonic assumptions, evidence suggests that people tend to engage in activities they consider pleasurable and enjoyable, while trying to avoid pain and displeasure. This suggests that the dynamic between positive and negative affect can influence current behavior and the intentions to continue performing. Regarding resistance training (RT), research focusing on how to promote a better affective response is still scarce and much needed. Given existing limitations and theoretical suggestions, a RT program was developed and applied to recreational exercisers in a quasi-experimental design aiming to: (1) explore the affective response dynamic through a continuous assessment after the last set of each exercise; and (2) analyze possible differences of preference and tolerance profiles in affective variables (core affect and enjoyment). For that purpose, 43 participants (21 male and 22 female; M_age = 34.69 ± 6.71 years; M_experience = 8.32 ± 4.54 years; M_BMI = 24.26 ± 2.64 kg/m² ) accepted to participate in this study. Descriptive statistics, correlational, and group comparisons analyses were performed to provide evidence for proposed objectives. The present study showed that measures of affective valence/arousal applied immediately after a set represents a feasible and ecologically valid approach to tap core affect. Results presented evidence that recreationally trained exercisers in a common RT program would need a minimum of one measurement to assess the affective response. However, additional assessments could refine the understanding of exercise pleasurable experience. Results also suggest that exercisers with distinct profiles of preference/tolerance depicted differentiated patterns for the affective response, possibly justifying a distinct approach when promoting affective regulation.

Exploring the Impact of Mental Fatigue and Emotional Suppression on the Performance of High-Intensity Endurance Exercise

This study investigated the extent to which mental fatigue and emotional suppression affected exercise endurance. Twelve participants performed cycling endurance tests at 80% of their peak power up to the point of exhaustion. Two experimental conditions (mental fatigue [MF] and emotion suppression conditions [ES]) and a control condition (CO) were administered. Participants responded to psychological measures throughout the exercise trials. Both MF and ES conditions hindered exercise performance relative to the CO, and there was no statistically significant difference between the negative effects of both MF and ES conditions. Of note, however, higher levels of subjective fatigue were reported in MF, prior to commencing the exercise test. High cognitive loads that induce MF and/or engaging in ES may reduce high intensity endurance exercise performance among young adults, but further research with greater numbers of participants is needed to replicate and extend these findings.

Perceptual Responses and Future Exercise Intentions of Individuals with Systemic Arterial Hypertension

To analyze the perceptual responses and future intentions (FI) to engage in continuous moderate aerobic exercise (CE) and high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) of individuals with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), we had 25 participants with SAH (M age=48.0, SD=8.0 years) perform, on different days and in randomized order, 33 minute sessions of CE and 30 minutes of HIIE. Twenty seconds after each 3-minutes of these sessions, we obtained participant responses to Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE), the Feeling Scale (FS), the Felt Arousal Scale (FAS), and attentional focus (AF). We assessed their FI to engage in CE and HIIE at the end of each session. We analyzed results using two-way ANOVAs with repeated measures, Spearman correlation coefficients, a simple linear regression and Wilcoxon test. We found a significant time by session type (CE and HIIE) interaction effect for RPE (F [2.05; 49.17] = 3.31; p < 0.001), FAS (F [2.43; 58.25] = 6.18; p = 0.002) and AF (F [2.56; 61.44] = 5.41; p = 0.004). Participants' FI to engage in HIIE were only significantly correlated with FAS (r = -0.424; p = 0.035) and AF (r =0.431; p = 0.032) responses. FAS responses (βz=-0.455; R2=0.207; p =0.022) and AF responses (βz=0.467; R2=0.218; p=0.019) predicted FI for engaging in HIIE. There were no significant differences in participants' FI to engage in CE sessions (M = 76.4, SD =22.5%) versus HIIE sessions (M = 71.8, SD = 22.9%; p=0.177). Individuals with SAH had more positive perceptions of CE than HIIE, as seen by their greater dissociative AF in the CE sessions. Furthermore, these results supported the application of strategies aimed at manipulating AF in this population, possibly as a tool to increase participants' FI to engage in subsequent physical exercise.

Exercisers' Affective and Enjoyment Responses: A Meta-Analytic and Meta-Regression Review

Affective responses and enjoyment of exercise mediate exercise adherence, but previous research findings have failed to examine nuances that may moderate this relationship. We examined the effects of exercise on affective and enjoyment responses during and post exercise through a systematic literature review and meta-regression analysis. We searched major databases up to July 9, 2020 for studies evaluating healthy adults' acute and chronic responses to exercise, using either of The Feeling Scale or Physical Activity Enjoyment Scales. We calculated effect size (ES) values of 20 unique studies (397 participants; 40% females) as standardized differences in the means and expressed them as Hedges' g, together with the 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Among acute studies examining affective responses, we found a greater positive effect post exercise for continuous training (CT) compared to high intensity interval training (HIIT) (g = -0.61; 95%CI = -1.11, -0.10; p < .018), but there was no significant difference between these modes for effects during exercise. Subgroup analyses revealed that moderate, and not high intensity, CT, compared to HIIT, resulted in significantly greater positive affective responses (g = -1.09; 95%CI = -1.88, -0.30; p < .006). In contrast, enjoyment was greater for HIIT, compared to CT (g = 0.75; 95%CI = 0.17, -1.13; p = .010), but CT intensity did not influence this result. Among chronic studies, there was greater enjoyment following HIIT compared to CT, but these studies were too few to permit meta-analysis. We concluded that an acute bout of moderate intensity CT is more pleasurable, when measured post exercise than HIIT, but enjoyment is greater following HIIT, perhaps due to an interaction between effort, discomfort, time efficiency and constantly changing stimuli.

Effects of Self-selected Resistance Training on Physical Fitness and Psychophysiological Responses in Physically Inactive Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Study

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week self-selected resistance training (SSRT) program on physical fitness and psychophysiological responses among physically inactive older women. We randomly allocated 32 inactive older women (M age = 66.0 years, SD = 3.0) into either an SSRT (n = 16) or control group (n = 16). Participants performed SSRT three times per week over 12 weeks. We assessed maximal isotonic and isokinetic muscle strength, functional capacity, flexibility, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition at baseline and after the intervention. Affective responses and perceived exertion were evaluated after each exercise set throughout the training program. The SSRT group significantly improved their maximal muscle strength in all exercises (Cohen's d ranging from 1.4-3.3; all p's < .001), peak torque (knee flexors: d = 1.7; knee extensors: d = 1.6; all p < .001), flexibility (knee flexors: d = 1.7; single hip flexors: d = 1.6; all p < .001; bilateral hip flexors: d = 1.1, p = .001), fat-free mass (d = .9, p = .008), and cardiorespiratory fitness (d = .9, p = .014), compared to the control group. All components of functional capacity improved compared to the control group (Cohen's d ranging from .8 to 5.5; all p's ≤ .001). Participants perceived the exercise training sessions as pleasant and of low to moderate effort. Thus, a 12-week SSRT program was effective at improving physical fitness and inducing feelings of pleasure among inactive older women.