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Acute aerobic exercise increases implicit approach motivation for dessert images
Christine N May1, Nora L Nock2, Devon Bentley2
11 University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA.
Journal of Health Psychology
|July 13, 2016
Summary
Acute exercise increased implicit approach motivation towards dessert images more than cognitive tasks. This suggests exercise may influence subconscious desires for high-calorie foods.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Nutritional Psychology
Background:
- Implicit motivations, or subconscious desires, play a role in food choices.
- Understanding how acute exercise impacts these motivations is crucial for dietary behavior research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential effects of acute exercise versus a cognitive task on implicit approach/avoidance motivation towards dessert images.
- To validate the use of the Dessert-Approach-Avoidance Task (DAAT) in exercise intervention studies.
Main Methods:
- Participants were randomized to either an acute exercise condition or a cognitive task condition.
- Implicit approach/avoidance motivation towards dessert images was measured using the Dessert-Approach-Avoidance Task (DAAT).
- Analyses adjusted for covariates including disordered eating, task difficulty, and changes in negative affect.
Main Results:
- Participants in the acute exercise group showed a significantly greater increase in approach motivation towards dessert images compared to the cognitive task group (p=0.046).
- The Dessert-Approach-Avoidance Task demonstrated sensitivity to the effects of acute exercise on implicit food motivation.
Conclusions:
- Acute exercise, compared to cognitive tasks, enhances implicit approach motivation for dessert images.
- The Dessert-Approach-Avoidance Task is a viable tool for assessing exercise-induced changes in implicit food motivation.
- Further research should explore the impact of chronic exercise interventions on implicit food motivations.
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