title: Long-term effects of aerobic exercise on psychological outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the literature on increased physical fitness and psychological outcomes has grown large, a number of methodological limitations remain unaddressed. The present study was designed to address a number of these limitations while examining the short- and long-term psychological effects following completion of a 12-week aerobic fitness program using bicycle ergometry (and confirmed increases in fitness).
  
  
  METHODS
  Following completion of a 12-week aerobic fitness program (and through 12 months of follow-up), 82 adult participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Profile of Mood States, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. Physiological measures used to assess changes in aerobic fitness were maximal work load, submaximal heart rate at a standard work load, predicted maximum oxygen uptake, and resting heart rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exercise participants experienced a positive fitness change and psychological improvement over the initial 12-week program compared to a control group. At 1 year follow-up, physiological and psychological benefits remained significantly improved from baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, results indicate that exercise-induced increases in aerobic fitness have beneficial short-term and long-term effects on psychological outcomes. We postulate that participants in the exercise group did not increase the amount of weekly exercise they performed over the 12-month follow-up period and thus the maintenance of the psychological improvements occurred concurrent with equal or lesser amounts of exercise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia 65211, USA.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: DiLorenzo
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Bargman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stucky-Ropp
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Brassington
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Frensch
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: LaFontaine
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors