Exercise-induced changes in affective valence; relevance, mechanisms, and predictors

Abstract

Global physical activity (PA) levels are decreasing, leading to a greatly increased risk of premature morbidity. It is proposed that changes in affective valence (AV) during exercise may moderate uptake of and adherence to exercise, through a hypothesised pathway. Decreases in AV during exercise are linked to reduced remembered exercise enjoyment and reduced remembered exercise enjoyment is linked with reduced uptake of and adherence to exercise. Identifying what factors may influence AV change during exercise may be key to moderating AV responses and promoting increase uptake of and adherence to exercise. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis is to elucidate what affects the change in AV during different types of exercise and how this is linked to exercise enjoyment levels. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive overview of the available literature within the field and context of this thesis. Chapter 2 meta-analyses available literature to identify the credibility of the hypothesis of the DMM, particularly that exercise at intensities below 100% of the VT elicit a homogenous positive AV response. Chapter 3 follows with a human trial assessing the relationship between changes in AV during exercise and remembered exercise enjoyment, by comparing exercise bouts of varying durations and intensities. The final experimental chapter, chapter 4, assesses the variability of AV responses to low-volume SIE within and between individuals and attempts to identify any potential associations between the change in AV during exercise and psychological characteristics. Chapter 5 discusses the findings of the aforementioned chapters in a broader scope and addresses future directions of research. Overall, this thesis contributes to the available literature concerning AV change during exercise, critically evaluating long-standing theories, identifying important relationships, and assessing potential moderating factors of AV change.