Exercise & Mood By: Nichole Chevalier

Mood enhancement persists for up to 12 hours following aerobic exercise: A pilot study. Perceptual And Motor Skills Sibold, J. S., & Berg, K. M. (2010)

Hypothesis If one participates in moderate intensity aerobic activity then their mood will be positively effected for as long as 12 to 24 hours post activity.

Variables Independent - Level 1: No Exercise (control group) - Level 2: Exercise Group Dependent -Scores reported on the mood inventory

Participants 48 Healthy College Students between the ages of Females -13 Males Recruited through signage posted in buildings and residence halls on a college campus. Exclusions… -Anyone with psychological disorders -Anyone using psychoactive drugs -Anyone with a history of physical illness or injury -Anyone under the age of 18 or over the age of 25

Procedure Part 1: Physical Readiness Assessment -Readiness for physical activity was tested through the PAR-Q -Aerobic capacity was tested using a Fitmate Pro metabolic system and a Polar Vantage XL heart rate monitor -Participants completed an exercise test on a stationary cycle -Based on the results of a self-report of activity level participants were assigned to different exercise conditions -Peak heart rate was measured and used to estimate the heart rate target for the exercise intervention -A lower to moderate intensity was selected

Procedure (cont.) Part 2: Assessment of mood -Mood was assessed using the Profile of Mood States- Brief Form -30 inventory items with subscales -rated from 0-4 -Scores are calculated by adding the totals of the five negative moods and then subtracting them from the Vigor score -Participants were asked to complete the inventory in respect to how they felt “right now”

Procedure (cont.) Part 3: Physical Assessment -Participants put on a heart rate monitor and a silicone facemask which was attached to a metabolic analyzer -Cycling rules and criteria were reviewed with the participants -There was a two minute warm-up -Resistance was added incrementally every minute -Perceived exertion was recorded every two minutes -Following the test participants were allowed to cool down until their heart rate reached a normal level

Procedure (cont.) Part 4 -Participants came to the lab no less then 3 days after the first visit -At the second visit participants completed the mood inventory and were assigned to either an exercise condition or a control group -Only one participant was allowed in the lab at a time -Participants in the control condition sat quietly in the lab for 20 minutes -Participants in the exercise condition cycled for 20 minutes on a stationary bike -Immediately after the exercise or control condition the mood inventory was completed -The subjects were then asked to complete the inventory 1,2,4,8,12, and 24 hours post exercise -The times were written on the inventory and an reminder was sent to subjects prior to the times -Participants handed in the inventories the next day at the lab -They received a modest financial compensation for participation and return of the completed inventories

Results -The group that participated in aerobic exercise had a significantly lower mean total mood disturbance score -Significant differences were seen immediately following exercise -Sex or fitness level had no effect on mood -Moderate aerobic exercise resulted in acute improvements in overall mood

What does this mean? Moderate physical exercise helps to improve one’s overall mood Exercise can be beneficial to one’s mental health People who are feeling stressed or dealing with negative emotions should try to exercise It is important to incorporate exercise into our schedule as often as we can

The mood-enhancing benefits of exercise: Memory biases augment the effect. Anderson, R. J., & Brice, S. (2011)

Hypothesis Participants who exercise will exhibit actual mood benefits when comparing pre- and post-exercise reports of current mood in addition to having an enhanced perception of mood benefits post-exercise.

Variables Independent - Level 1: No Exercise (control group) - Level 2: Exercise Group Dependent -Participant’s Mood

Participants 40 Regular Exercisers: At least two 30 minute sessions per week -20 Females -20 Males Participants we between the ages of They were recruited by sampling various sports clubs in the North East of England

Procedure -Participants were informed the study was examining the impact of various activities on mood -Prior to activity the participants completed ISP of Mood States Questionnaire -Participants in the exercise condition had to jog lightly for 10 minutes -Participants in the non-exercise group had to complete a word search for 10 minutes -Participants completed the tasks in groups of 2-3 -Immediately after the activities both groups completed the ISP -Half of each group was then asked to complete the ISP a second time -The first time they reported their current mood -The second time they were asked to recall their mood pre-activity -Participants were asked to try and not remember the responses they put on the original ISP but to remember how they felt before the activity -All conditions took place when the weather was fine and dry and distractions were minimized

Results -There was significant mood enhancement in the exercise group compared to the non-exercise group -Participants retrospective estimates of pre-activity mood state were favorably distorted with respect to mood enhancement -Recalling past affective states only altered the mood of the subjects in the exercise condition

What does this mean? Exercise affects mood in a positive way Post exercise the mood of someone at the time they recall something effects how they recall the information -If you are happy you may favorably distort information -Post exercise people have a memory bias Expectations can make us believe that things are happening even when they are not (placebo effect)

Questions?