Can In-Task Affect During Interval and Continuous Exercise Predict 12-Month Physical Activity Behavior? Findings from...

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Behavioral science
• Psychology of physical activity

Background:

• In-task affective responses during exercise predict future physical activity.
• Research on this affect-behavior relationship for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and its long-term effects is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if in-task affect during moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and HIIT predicts changes in unsupervised physical activity 12 months later.
• To investigate if exercise type (MICT vs. HIIT) moderates this affect-behavior prediction.

Main Methods:

• Ninety-nine low-active, overweight adults were randomized to 2 weeks of supervised MICT or HIIT.
• Free-living moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed via accelerometry for 12 months post-intervention.

Main Results:

• In-task affect predicted 12-month changes in MVPA for the MICT group (p=.03).
• In-task affect did not significantly predict 12-month changes in MVPA for the HIIT group (p=.85).
• The overall model predicting MVPA change was not significant (p=.07).

Conclusions:

• The affect-behavior relationship in exercise may differ based on exercise modality.
• For HIIT, other psychological factors beyond in-task affect may be needed to predict future physical activity behavior.