Mood Responses to Passive and Active Motion Leg Cycling Exercise in Healthy Sedentary Young Adults

Previous studies suggest that passive motion exercise (PME) may be useful for overcoming exercise limitations associated with a sedentary lifestyle, orthopedic disorders, and various other debilitating conditions. Negative mood response is one of the factors that limit a person's ability to exercise. Therefore, this study tests the hypothesis that the mood response associated with PME is not different than the mood response associated with active motion exercise (AME). Eight women and seven men participated in the study and were administrated the Profile of Mood States (POMS) during modes of PME and AME in a randomized order. Outcome of the POMS consisted of the total mood disturbance score [(feelings of tension + depression + fatigue + anger + confusion) - vigor]. ANOVA was used to determine significance of differences in total mood disturbance, oxygen uptake (V.O₂), and middle cerebral blood flow velocity (MCAv) at baseline and immediately after 30-minute conditions of PME and AME. Postexercise total mood disturbance score was significantly decreased for both conditions (PME baseline 29.2 ± 5.2 vs. postexercise 16.4 ± 6.8, P < 0.05) and AME baseline 22.4 ± 4.4 vs. postexercise 13.1 ± 5.2, P < 0.05). These senses of changes in feelings were associated with significant physiological increases in V.O₂ and MCAv during both PME and AME (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that physiological and mood responses to passive and active motion cycling exercise are not different. Future studies should determine whether passive motion cycling exercise is a useful preventive medicine strategy for overcoming various disease-related exercise limitations and counteracting the adverse effects of sedentary lifestyles.