Maximal exercise and acute mood response in women

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Psychology

Background:

• Assessing acute mood responses to maximal exercise is crucial for understanding its psychological benefits.
• The reliability of mood state questionnaires following intense physical exertion requires validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and assess the reliability of acute mood responses to maximal exercise in women using the abbreviated Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire.
• To determine if maximal exercise impacts specific mood states and if these effects are consistent across repeated testing.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two women (age 45 ± 2.5 yrs) completed two maximal walking tests approximately one month apart.
• The abbreviated POMS questionnaire was administered pre- and post-exercise during both testing sessions.
• Repeated measures ANOVA and intraclass correlations were used to analyze mood changes and test-retest reliability.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between the two testing sessions for any POMS subscales, indicating good reliability.
• Maximal exercise significantly increased fatigue and self-esteem, while decreasing tension and vigor.
• Intraclass correlations ranged from 0.69 to 0.81 for most subscales, suggesting reliable measurement, though anger and depression showed lower correlations.

Conclusions:

• The abbreviated POMS questionnaire is a reliable tool for assessing acute mood responses to maximal exercise in women.
• Maximal exertion demonstrates potential for acute mood benefits, specifically by reducing tension and enhancing self-esteem.