Influence Of Short-term Exercise On Emotional State

As a serial progressive study of both exploratory and confirmatory in exercise psychology, the present study focuses on the key issues in the study of psychological benefits of exercise based on existing literature about music inducing emotion and health promoting theories. Sixty students from Shanghai Sport University (class and gender balanced) who participated in the study were measured appropriate psychological, physiological and behavioral indicators before, during and after exercise synchronously, collecting data in dynamic and static state. Three experiments were implemented:1) examining time bucket characteristics of emotional change and short-term emotional benefits of a single bout of exercise;2) examining emotional benefits and cardio-pulmonary activity during a single bout of exercise;3) whether auxiliary music during exercise influence the emotional benefits and HR (Heart rate), HRV (Heart rate variability). The result can provide theoretical achievement and methodological guidance to better monitor exercise promoting health and serve as practical reference for follow-up study.In experiment1, subjects completed a30minutes self-regulated jogging or walking, of which emotional state were monitored5minutes before, during and15minutes after the exercise and adjust speed performance were monitored during exercise. The data were tested using chi-square test. The following conclusions were drawn:(1) Emotion varied significantly in the experiment and its benefits changed over time. l-5min from the beginning of the exercise and1-15min after exercise were the best time bucket for pleasure state.6-20min from the beginning of the exercise were the best time bucket for vitality state.11-30min from the beginning of the exercise were the best time bucket for flow state.26-30min from the beginning of the exercise were the worst time bucket for fatigue feeling.6-20min from the beginning of the exercise and1-15min after exercise were the best time bucket for eliminate anxiety.1-5min from the beginning of the exercise and1-15min after exercise were the best time bucket for eliminate depression.(2) A single bout of exercise inducing emotional change and short-term emotional benefits also showed class and gender differences. Chronic exercisers were less likely to show anxiety and fatigue due to exercise and easier to experienced flow and pleasure during exercise than occasional exercisers. Occasional exercisers were easier to experience vitality during exercise and flow after exercise but tended to experience fatigue more than chronic exercisers. Female exercisers were easier to experience pleasure during exercise and vitality after exercise than male exercisers. Male exercisers were easier to experience flow during and after exercise, however more fatigue than female exercisers.(3) Subjects speeded up in a positive emotional state (male exercisers particularly prominent). Female occasional exercisers were easier to decelerate in negative emotional state. Male exercisers and female chronic exercisers were likely to persist in negative emotional state.In experiment2, emotional state and cardio-pulmonary activity during a30 minutes jogging or walk in a fixed running speed (best running speed in the self-regulated experiment1) in moderate intensity were analyzed. Chi-square test and single factor repeated measures analysis of variance were used to compare data collected5min before, during and10min after exercise. The following conclusions were drawn:(1) During a single bout of exercise, t1were time bucket for pleasure; t2were the time bucket for vitality-pleasure; t3were the time bucket for vitality-flow; t4were the time bucket for flow-vitality;t5were the time bucket for flow-vitality-fatigue; t6were the time bucket for fatigue.(2) Oxygen consumption (VO2), relative oxygen consumption (VO2/kg) and metabolic equivalents (MET) during a single bout of exercise remained constant. Respiratory frequency (RF) and tidal volume (TV) changed sharply and rapidly and displayed a reverse tendency. Heart rate (HR) and oxygen pulse (VO2/HR) changed with an opposite direction during t6. Respiratory quotient (RQ) of t1was less than t2, t3, t4, t5and t6.(3) During the exercise, deep breath were adopted as the main breathing pattern and maximum TV value, minimum RF value and minimum RQ value appeared in the best pleasure benefit time bucket. Respiratory efficiency was high and RF value and TV value matched suitably during the positive emotion benefit time bucket. Respiratory and pump blood efficiency were low and maximum RF value, minimum TV value, maximum HR value and minimum VO2/HR value appeared during the most fatigue time bucket.In experiment3, emotional state and HR, HRV during a30minutes jogging or walk with or without listening to music in a fixed running speed (same as experiment2) in moderate intensity and5min before,10min after exercise were analyzed. Chi-square test was used to examine emotional state and paired t-test and single factor repeated measures analysis of variance were used to compare data of physiological indicators collected5min before, during and10min after exercise. The following conclusions were drawn:(1) Compared with pure exercise condition, music accompanying condition not only strengthened positive emotions but also weakened negative emotions in long time bucket.(2) In music accompanying condition, pleasure, flow benefits were strengthened, however pleasure benefit of a single bout of exercise was weakened as well.(3) Compared with pure exercise condition, exercise inducing depression and fatigue feeling were weakened and the appearance of exercise inducing fatigue were delayed in music accompanying condition. It can also be discovered that exercising while listening to music could better eliminate anxiety state during the time bucket of fatigue and advance best time bucket to eliminate depression.(4) Emotional state changes were not accompanied by corresponding changes in HRV. However HR, HRV variance according to time changed to some extent in music accompanying condition compared to pure exercise condition.(5) In music accompanying condition:BPM (The average heart rate in beats per minute for the analysis epoch) was reduced moderately in long time bucket; AveIBI (Average Inter-beat Interval for the analysis epoch) was increased; the efficiency of the heart to pump blood was improved in long time bucket.(6) Exercise while listening to music not only, to some degree, reduced SD (Standard Deviation of the IBI data), RMSSD (The root mean square of the successive differences of the IBIs) and LF/HF (The ratio of the LF component to the HF component of the IBIs) in t6, but also increased SD, RMSSD and HF (The high frequency component of the IBI derived using an FFT) during t1to some extent.(7) Features such as high efficiency, economization and intelligence of cardiac activity provide solid physiological foundation for better positive emotion benefits that a single bout of exercise with music induce and the weakening effects of exercise with music have on negative emotion in long time bucket.