Enjoyment and Affective Responses to Moderate and High-Intensity Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial in...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Exercise Science
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Subsyndromal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects mood and well-being.
• Exercise interventions are increasingly explored for mental health benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the acute psychological effects of high-intensity functional exercise (HIFE) and moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise (MICE) versus a sedentary control (SED) in individuals with subsyndromal PTSD.
• To assess changes in affective states, including energy, tiredness, tension, and calmness, following different exercise modalities.

Main Methods:

• A crossover randomized controlled trial design was employed.
• Participants (N=21) with subsyndromal PTSD underwent three conditions: HIFE, MICE, and SED.
• Affective states were measured before, immediately after, and at 20 and 40 minutes post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Both HIFE and MICE were enjoyed more than SED.
• Energy levels increased post-exercise for HIFE and MICE, but decreased in SED.
• MICE showed greater improvements in calmness and reductions in tiredness compared to SED and HIFE.

Conclusions:

• Both HIFE and MICE are viable options for improving psychological states in individuals with subsyndromal PTSD.
• MICE may offer more sustained psychological benefits, particularly for calmness and tiredness.
• This study provides novel insights into exercise modality effects on affective states in subsyndromal PTSD.