title: Affective responses to acute exercise: a test of opponent-process theory.
abstract: Based on Solomon's Opponent-Process theory (1980), it was predicted that individuals involved in a regimen of regular aerobic exercise (active; n = 18) would respond to an acute bout of exercise with reduced negative and/or increased positive affect compared to nonactive counterparts (nonactive; n = 12). State Anxiety (SA), positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and self-reported fatigue were assessed immediately prior to, every 6 min during, and every 6 min following a 24 min bout of bicycle exercise performed at an RPE of 13 (+/- 1). As expected, no significant group differences occurred for RPE (M = 13.5 for nonactive, 13.2 for active). The active group did, however, exercise at a greater absolute workload than the nonactive group (261.0 +/- 22.4 W vs 200.0 +/- 19.98 W, respectively). Analyses indicated similar changes in SA and fatigue for both groups, with significant reductions in SA occurring at 6 min post-exercise and remaining below pre-exercise levels throughout the post-exercise period, while fatigue was reduced at 12, 18, and 24 min post-exercise. A significant Group x Time interaction occurred for affective valence (PA - NA; p < .01). Post hoc analyses indicated that for the active group, affect increased modestly (i.e., more PA, less NA) during exercise; this increase was sustained post-exercise. The nonactive group evidenced a sharp drop in affect (i.e., less PA, more NA) during exercise followed by a small post-exercise rise which did not return to pre-exercise levels. The results of the present study partially support the Opponent-Process model as an explanation for exercise-related affect. Although there was no differential anxiety response as a function of activity level as the model would predict, there was a differential response for affective valence in accordance with predictions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 61801, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Petruzzello
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tate
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005080:Exercise Test; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010465:Perception; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014937:Work / Q000502:physiology