The relationship between exercise intensity and affective responses demystified: to crack the 40-year-old nut, replace the 40-year-old nutcracker!
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A causal chain linking exercise intensity, affective responses (e.g., pleasure-displeasure), and adherence has long been suspected as a contributor to the public health problem of physical inactivity. However, progress in the investigation of this model has been limited, mainly due to inconsistent findings on the first link between exercise intensity and affective responses. PURPOSE: The purpose was to reexamine the intensity-affect relationship using a new methodological platform. METHODS: Thirty young adults (14 women and 16 men) participated in 15-min treadmill exercise sessions below, at, and above their ventilatory threshold. The innovative elements were the following: (a) Affect was assessed in terms of the dimensions of the circumplex model; (b) assessments were made repeatedly during and after exercise; (c) patterns of interindividual variability were examined; (d) intensity was determined in relation to the ventilatory threshold; and (e) hypotheses derived from the dual-mode model were tested. RESULTS: Intensity did not influence the positive changes from pre- to post-exercise, but it did influence the responses during exercise, with the intensity that exceeded the ventilatory threshold eliciting significant and relatively homogeneous decreases in pleasure. CONCLUSIONS: Exceeding the intensity of the ventilatory threshold appears to reduce pleasure, an effect that could negatively impact adherence.
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The Dual-Mode Theory may also explain the positive rebound effect observed after exercise, with relatively larger increases in pleasure after HIT, possibly modulated by the magnitude of the negative perceptions during exercise.
“The Dual-Mode Theory may also explain the positive rebound effect observed after exercise, with relatively larger increases in pleasure after HIT, which are possibly modulated by the magnitude of the negative perceptions during exercise [30].”
From Continuous and high-intensity interval training: Which promotes higher pleasure? (2013) · cites this paper as [30]
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- Authors
- Ekkekakis, P., Hall, E. E., & Petruzzello, S. J.
- Affiliations
- Elon University (US)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Venue
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-03-28
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 136-149
- ISSN
- 0742-5554 (ISSN-L)
- 0883-6612
- 1532-4796
- OpenAlex
- W2107602825
- Cited by
- 429
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 62 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 10.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annals of Behavioral Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
- Keywords
- exercise intensity, emotional responses, ventilatory threshold, exercise adherence, physical inactivity, circumplex model of affect, dual-mode model, treadmill exercise, young adults, interindividual variability
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Arousal, Carbon Dioxide, Exercise Test, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Individuality, Male, Oxygen, Psychophysiology, Reference Values, Anaerobic Threshold, Exercise, Lactic Acid
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