The short-term influence of high and low intensity physical exercise on mood

Abstract

This study was designed to replicate and extend previous observations that the acute response to high intensity exercise is an increase in anxiety and other negative feelings. Forty female volunteers were allocated to two conditions—20 exercised at high level (100W) for 1.5 min, while 20 exercised at a low level (ZW). The purpose of the experiment was disguised. Mood was assessed before. during and immediately after exercise, and over a 1.5-min recovery period. Subjects were subsequently divided into highly and moderately fit groups on the basis of cardiac responses to a standard workload. It was found that tensiodanxiety increased immediately after high intensity exercise, declining over the recovery period. A similar pattern was found for mental fatigue. During exercise itself, anxiety diminished in the low but not the high intensity condition, No differences between fitness groups were observed in these patterns, although highly fit subjects reported greater mental vigour and exhilaration than moderately fit subjects following high intensity exercise. The mechanisms that may mediate these responses are discussed.