Affect change with acute exercise: Determining an optimal dosage and testing thermogenesis and distraction as plausible mechanisms

Tibbert, Stephanie (2002) Affect change with acute exercise: Determining an optimal dosage and testing thermogenesis and distraction as plausible mechanisms. MSc(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Exercise is associated with an improved affect, whether this is causal has not been confirmed yet. Little research has been carried out to identify optimal duration or environment, but intensity studies tend to favour moderate for producing the best psychological benefits. This thesis comprises three studies. The main study had two aims, to determine an optimal dosage of exercise for affect changes, and to test two causal mechanisms, the thermogenic hypothesis and the distraction hypothesis of exercise and affect change. Study 1 was developed to determine which temperature site would be used to measure core temperature for the main study. Tympanic, oral and rectal measurement sites were tested, the rectal site provided clear results that were sensitive enough to detect core temperature changes with only a small variation between subjects. Study 2 looked at two mood questionnaires to determine sensitivity in registering small changes in affect. POMS-bipolar (Lorr and McNair, 1984) and PANAS (Watson et al, 1988) were selected for testing. The PANAS was chosen for the main study as it measured affect changes on a dimensional scale, took very little time to complete and was sensitive enough to pick up changes in affect with acute exercise. The main study used 9 exercise conditions made up of short (10 minutes), medium (20 minutes) and long (40 minutes) duration exercise and low (45 - 55% Hrmax), moderate (65 - 75% Hrmax) and high (80 - 89% Hrmax) intensity bouts; and 3 quiet rest conditions of similar short, medium and long duration. PANAS (Watson et al, 1988) and core temperature were measured before and after each condition. Moderate intensity exercise consistently produced most of the improvements in affect as research predicted. Intensity significantly influenced negative affect, but not positive affect. The medium and short duration exercise bouts produced more improvements in positive and negative affect than the long duration exercise. There was no evidence to support the thermogenic hypothesis, as core temperature changes did not correlate with affect changes. The quiet rest condition produced significant improvements for medium duration therefore supporting the distraction hypothesis. Future research could involve looking at delayed improved affect post exercise with particular interest in higher intensity exercise bouts. More research looking at how causal mechanisms may interact to produce an integrative model would be advised.

• Item Type: Thesis (MSc(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Adviser: Nanette Mutrie
• Keywords: Kinesiology
• Date of Award: 2002
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2002-72485
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 11 Jun 2019 11:06
• Last Modified: 11 Jun 2019 11:06
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/72485