Affective Responses during High-Intensity Interval Exercise Compared with Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise in...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Psychology
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Affective responses significantly influence exercise adherence.
• Understanding exercise preferences in inactive women is crucial for public health initiatives.
• Both high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) and moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) are common exercise modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the affective responses to an acute bout of HIIE versus MICE in inactive women.
• To examine if Body Mass Index (BMI) status moderates affective responses to HIIE and MICE.

Main Methods:

• Thirty normal BMI and 30 overweight/obese inactive women participated.
• Participants completed randomized HIIE and MICE sessions.
• Affective responses were measured using Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Self-Assessment-Manikin (SAM), and Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES).

Main Results:

• HIIE elicited higher RPE, lower pleasure, higher arousal, higher dominance, lower well-being, higher psychological distress, and higher fatigue compared to MICE.
• MICE resulted in more positive affective responses than HIIE.
• No significant differences in affective responses were observed between normal BMI and overweight/obese women.

Conclusions:

• MICE may be a more acceptable exercise modality for inactive women compared to HIIE.
• Exercise intensity, not BMI, appears to be the primary driver of affective responses in this population.
• Tailoring exercise intensity to promote positive affective experiences could enhance long-term exercise participation in inactive women.