Social Bonds and Exercise: Evidence for a Reciprocal Relationship
Arran Davis1, Jacob Taylor1, Emma Cohen2
1Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PN, United Kingdom.
Plos One
|August 29, 2015
Summary
Group exercise enhances social bonding and performance. Moderate intensity exercise boosted cooperation, while synchronized warm-ups improved anaerobic performance, highlighting the reciprocal link between physical activity and social connection.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Science
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Group movement and exercise are often linked to social bonding.
- Social bonding may enhance individual exercise performance.
- Understanding these reciprocal relationships is key to explaining collective physical activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanisms linking group exercise, social bonding, and performance.
- To examine how exercise intensity and synchrony affect cooperation and bonding.
- To determine if social bonding cues (synchrony) enhance exercise performance.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Manipulated exercise intensity and synchrony in rowers, measuring cooperation in an economic game.
- Study 2: Assessed anaerobic performance in bonded rugby players after solo, synchronized, and non-synchronized warm-ups.
- Utilized synchrony as a proxy for existing social bonds in Study 2.
Main Results:
- Moderate intensity exercise significantly increased cooperation compared to low intensity exercise in Study 1.
- No significant effect of synchrony versus non-synchrony on cooperation was found in Study 1.
- Participants showed significantly improved anaerobic performance after a synchronous warm-up in Study 2.
Conclusions:
- Findings support a reciprocal relationship between group exercise and social bonding.
- Moderate intensity exercise may foster greater cooperation.
- Synchronized activity can enhance performance, potentially by leveraging social bonds.
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