Current issues and new directions in Psychology and Health: The costs and benefits of self-regulation – a call for experimental research

Abstract

This study was designed to assess the effects of exercise on psychological functioning in healthy Type A men. Seventy-three middle-aged men (M=42.2 years) were randomly assigned either to an aerobic exercise (AE) training group or to a strength and flexibility (SF) training group. Subjects completed a comprehensive psychological assessment battery prior to beginning the 12-week exercise programs, and after completing the programs. The psychological test battery included measures of depression, anxiety and stress, as well as various psychiatric symptoms. In addition, subjects underwent graded exercise treadmill tests (ETT) at both times of measurement in order to document changes in cardiorespiratory fitness. Aerobic exercise training consisted of walking, jogging or stair-climbing at an intensity of at least 70% of initial measured maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max determined during the treadmill test). Strength and flexibility training consisted of circuit Nautilus training with no aerobic exercise. Results at the conclusion of the 12-week programs indicated that [Vdot]O₂max for the AE group increased by 15%, while the SF group did not change. Both groups improved on measures of psychological well-being; however, there were no differential effects of the two exercise programs on measures of psychological functioning. These results suggest that improved cardiovascular fitness is not necessary for psychological improvement among exercise participants.     

Improving aerobic capacity in healthy older adults does not necessarily lead to improved cognitive performance

The effects of aerobic exercise training in a sample of 85 older adults were investigated. Ss were assigned randomly to either an aerobic exercise group, a nonaerobic exercise (yoga) group, or a waiting-list control group. Following 16 weeks of the group-specific protocol, all of the older Ss received 16 weeks of aerobic exercise training. The older adults demonstrated a significant increase in aerobic capacity (cardiorespiratory fitness). Performance on reaction-time tests of attention and memory retrieval was slower for the older adults than for a comparison group of 24 young adults, and there was no improvement in the older adults' performance on these tests as a function of aerobic exercise training. Results suggest that exercise-related changes in older adults' cognitive performance are due either to extended periods of training or to cohort differences between physically active and sedentary individuals.     

The effect of physical fitness training on reaction time in youth with intellectual disabilities

The purpose of this study was to assess whether reaction time in persons with intellectual disabilities can be improved with an exercise program. 50 children and adolescents (M age = 14.7 yr., SD = 1.4, range = 11-18) with mild intellectual disability without Downs syndrome were randomly divided into control (20 boys, 5 girls) and experimental (19 boys, 6 girls) groups. The experimental group participated in a structured physical fitness program for 12 weeks. Reaction time was assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks. Significant improvements in reaction time were observed in the exercise group but not for the control group. Results indicated that reaction time can be improved with an exercise program in youth with intellectual disability.     

Reaction time unchanged in older women following aerobic training

The effect of aerobic exercise on reaction time in older women was investigated. 14 women (M age = 65 yr.) were carefully screened for health status and lifestyle, then assigned to a random order of the exercise and control groups (ns = 7). Pre- and posttraining tests of aerobic capacity, simple reaction time, and choice reaction time were administered. The exercise group rode a stationary bicycle ergometer for 8 consecutive weeks for 3 35- to 40-min. sessions per week. There were no significant pretraining differences between groups on simple reaction time, choice reaction time, or estimated VO2max. No posttraining differences for simple and choice reaction time were found even though the exercise group had a significantly higher VO2max than the controls. Contrary to some other findings, the data indicate that reaction time may be independent of aerobic training in healthy older women.     

Changes in pulmonary function response to a 10-week controlled exercise program in sedentary elderly adults

This randomized clinical trial was aimed to assess whether pulmonary function would change in sedentary elderly people after a controlled exercise program. 45 participants over 75 yr. of age (M age 83.7 +/- 3.0) were assigned randomly to a control and two aerobic exercise groups of moderate and high intensity. In 10 wk. the program sessions were 40 min. in duration 3 days per week. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec. (FEV1.0) were measured pre- and post-intervention. After the training, the Moderate intensity group experienced significant mean change in FVC. In the High intensity group, significant changes were observed in both FVC and FEV1.0, but no change was noted for the Control group. The 10-wk. aerobic training of moderate or high intensity showed positive effects on pulmonary function in these elderly individuals. These exercise-induced changes may be dose-related.     

Aerobic exercise training ameliorates craving and inhibitory control in methamphetamine dependencies: A randomized controlled trial and event-related potential study

ObjectiveMethamphetamine (MA) usage has been recognized as a prominent substance-abuse issue. While exercise training reportedly improves fitness and mental status in the MA-dependent, how exercise training affects addiction and cognitive deficiency has yet to be established. The current study aimed to determine the effects of aerobic exercise training on both MA-associated cravings and inhibitory control among those with MA dependencies.DesignA 12-week randomized controlled trial.MethodSixty-two people with MA dependencies recruited through the Drug Rehabilitation Bureau were assigned to either an aerobic exercise or attentional control group, with 50 participants completing the trial. The aerobic exercise program involved three 30-min sessions of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Along with a pre-test assessment, craving levels were evaluated every three weeks, and data on neutral and MA-related inhibitory control as well as its elicited neuroelectric activation were collected at the end of the intervention.ResultsCompared with the control group, the exercise group experienced attenuated MA craving levels after 6 weeks of the exercise program, and the decreased trend was maintained until the termination of treatment. In the post-test, the exercise group also demonstrated more accuracy in behavioral inhibitory control as well as greater N2 amplitude in the Nogo condition of both the standard and MA-related tasks than those in the control group or pre-test.ConclusionsThe current study provides the first evidence that aerobic exercise training may be efficacious for MA-associated cravings and inhibitory control from behavioral and neuroelectric perspectives among MA-dependent individuals.     

Comparison of two exercise protocols on fitness score improvement in poorly conditioned Air Force personnel

A 12-wk. study was conducted to contrast the effects of a longer and more frequent aerobic exercise protocol with a shorter and less frequent circuit strength-training protocol for improving U.S. Air Force physical fitness test scores of subjects who previously failed to achieve a passing point total. 83 men and women of the U.S. Air Force (M age = 32.7 yr.) participated in either the unsupervised standard conditioning program, which recommended approximately 60 min. of aerobic activity 4 to 5 days per week (n=26), or the supervised circuit strength-training program, which required approximately 25 min. of alternating strength and endurance exercises 3 days per week (n=57). Subjects were assessed on a 2400-m (1.5-mile) run, abdominal circumference, push-ups completed in 1 min., and abdominal crunches completed in 1 min. Dependent t tests with Bonferroni adjustment indicated that significant improvements were attained by the circuit strength-training group only on each of the aforementioned measures. Significantly more participants in the circuit strength-training group (26%) achieved a passing point total than in the standard conditioning group (19%) at Wk. 12 (chi1(2) =3.96, p = .05). Implications for enhancing physical fitness in poorly conditioned adults were discussed.     

Exercise, changes in aerobic capacity, and changes in self-perceptions: An experimental investigation

Subjects in an exercise training condition participated in a 10-week aerobic exercise class, whereas subjects in waiting-list control and independent control conditions did not. The results indicated that subjects in the training condition evidenced reliably greater improvements in physical fitness (aerobic capacity) and reported reliably greater improvements in their abilities and confidence in both the physical area (e.g., ability to run distances) and nonphysical area (e.g., frustration tolerance) than did subjects in the control conditions. On the other hand, improvements in physical fitness were not related to reported improvements in abilities and confidence. These findings are of interest because they indicate that some of the important personal changes that are associated with physical fitness training are not due to changes in fitness, but appear to be due to other factors (e.g., group participation and expectancies).     

Mood enhancement persists for up to 12 hours following aerobic exercise: a pilot study

The objective was to estimate the duration of the effects of aerobic exercise on mood. Healthy men (n = 13) and women (n = 35) ages 18 to 25 years (M = 20.2, SD = 3.4) were randomly assigned to either a control or exercise group. Participants completed the Profile of Mood States before, after, and at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours following either exercise at 60% VO2 peak or quiet rest. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance was utilized with VO2 peak entered as a covariate. The exercise group showed significantly lower total mood disturbance immediately after and at 4, 8, and 12 hours following exercise.     

Men's and women's perceptions of effort during progressive-resistance strength training

Previously sedentary adult men (M age=34.3 yr.) and women (M age =41.8 yr.) participated in a 25-wk., 7-station circuit-training program designed to evaluate the effects of a low-volume (1 set) and a high-volume (3 set) exercise regimen on the development of muscular strength. Participants completed the Borg scale of perceived exertion immediately following a chest-press exercise and a leg-extention exercise. Neither exercise volume nor sex classification was related to participants' ratings of exertion; however, exertion ratings for both exercises increased over the course of training.     

Use of self-reports of physical fitness as substitutes for performance-based measures of physical fitness in older adults

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between self-reported physical fitness and performance-based measures of physical fitness in older adults. The specific components of physical fitness evaluated included aerobic endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility. Adults (25 men and 47 women) ranging in age from 56 to 92 years (M age=75 yr.) were recruited from the local community. Generally, the associations between self-reported and performance-based measures of physical fitness were low to moderate (r = 30-.01). Based on these findings, self-reports of physical fitness should not be used as substitutes for performance-based measures of physical fitness in older adults. Furthermore, present findings suggest that older adults, when asked to rate subcomponents of physical fitness, may not do so but rather evaluate a more general concept of physical fitness with aerobic endurance as the dominant factor.     

Preliminary evaluation of an after-school resistance training program for improving physical fitness in middle school-age boys

Most after-school physical activity programs for youth focus on aerobic games and activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an after-school resistance training program on improving the physical fitness of middle school-age boys. 22 boys (M = 13.9 yr., SD = .4 yr.) participated in a periodized, multiple-set, 9-wk. (2x/week) resistance training program. All subjects were pre- and post-tested on their 10-repetition maximum squat, 10-repetition maximum bench press, vertical jump, medicine ball toss, flexibility, and also percentage of body fat and the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER). Statistical analysis indicated that subjects significantly improved performance on the squat (19%), bench press (15%), flexibility (10%), vertical jump (5%), medicine ball toss (12%), and the PACER (36%). Although this design minus a control group limits interpretation, this after-school resistance-training program can improve muscular fitness and cardiovascular fitness in boys and should be replicated with appropriate experimental controls.     

Older adults with chronic disease: benefits of group-mediated counseling in the promotion of physically active lifestyles.

In this 12-month trial standard exercise training was compared with a group-mediated cognitive-behavioral (GMCB) intervention with respect to effects on long-term adherence and change in physical function of older adults who were either at risk for or had cardiovascular disease. Participants (147 older men and women) were randomized to the 2 treatments. Outcomes included self-reportedphysical activity, fitness, and self-efficacy. The GMCB treatment produced greater improvements on all outcomes than did standard exercise therapy. Regardless of treatment assignment, men had more favorable change on the study outcomes than did women. Analysis of a self-regulatory process measure in the GMCB group revealed that change in barriers efficacy was related to change in physical activity and fitness. Results suggest that teaching older adults to integrate physical activity into their lives via GMCB leads to better long-term outcomes than standardized exercise therapy.     

Effect of intermittent exercise on multiple-choice reaction times of soccer players

The influence of intermittent exercise on a choice-response time task was investigated. Two groups of 8 male soccer players (M age = 20.9, SD = 2.0) participated. They spent 4.4 (SD = 1.3) weekly hours on soccer training and had been playing soccer for 13 (SD = 3.3) years. Multiple-choice reaction speed and response accuracy were measured four times. Between measurements, one group performed 8-min. blocks of intermittent exercise on a bicycle ergometer and one group rested. Analysis showed that reaction speed and response accuracy were not significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore, there were significant faster reaction times and a larger number of correct reactions through Block 2 in both the exercise and control group (p < .05), probably a result of learning processes and familiarization with the task procedures. Further research towards the specific influence of mode of exercise, intensity, work-rest ratio and duration of intermittent exercise, and the sensitivity of reaction time tasks will be necessary to clarify the relationship between intermittent exercise and cognitive performance.     

RPE at relative intensities after 12 weeks of resistance-exercise training by older adults

The constant-RPE tracking model monitors progress over the course of exercise training. During aerobic exercise, prior work using this model has demonstrated similar relative intensities pre- and posttraining, while the absolute workload increases posttraining. However, the prediction equation associated with these changes has not been examined during resistance training. 22 men and 27 women (M age 64 yr.) participated in a 12-wk. resistance training. Orientation determined resistances associated with RPEs of 4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9 on the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale for each of seven exercises for each participant. Individuals trained 3 days a week for 12 wk. Linear regression was used to calculate percent of 1-repetition maximum (%1-RM) at RPE 4, 6, and 8 for the exercises. Paired sample t tests, comparing pre- and posttraining %1-RMs at each RPE, indicated that posttraining %1-RMs were higher for RPE 4 and 6 for each exercise, while at RPE 8, results were significant for only 3 exercises. Thus for at least the RPE 4 and 6, the constant RPE tracking model is appropriate for resistance exercise; however, the equation of prediction appears to differ from that for aerobic exercise. Development of a new prediction equation may be necessary to track relative strength in older adults.     

The effect of acute exercise on cognitive and motor inhibition – Does fitness moderate this effect?

BackgroundGiven the extensive evidence on improvements in cognitive inhibition immediately following exercise, and the literature indicating that cognitive and motor inhibitory functions are mediated by overlapping brain networks, the aim of this study was to assess, for the first time, the effect of moderate intensity acute aerobic exercise on multi-limb motor inhibition, as compared to cognitive inhibition.MethodParticipants were 36 healthy adults aged 40–60 years old (mean age 46.8 ± 5.7), who were randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. One-to-two weeks following baseline assessment, participants were asked to perform a three-limb (3-Limb) inhibition task and a vocal version of the Stroop before and after either acute moderate-intense aerobic exercise (experimental group) or rest (control).ResultsSimilar rates of improvement were observed among both groups from baseline to the pre-test. Conversely, a meaningful, yet non-significant trend was seen among the experimental group in their pretest to posttest improvement in both cognitive and motor tasks. In addition, exploratory analysis revealed significant group differences in favor of the experimental group among highly fit participants on the 3-Limb task. A significant correlation was indicated between the inhibition conditions, i.e., choice in the motor inhibition and color/word (incongruent) in the cognitive inhibition, especially in the improvement observed following the exercise.DiscussionModerate-intensity acute aerobic exercise is a potential stimulator of both multi-limb motor inhibition and cognitive inhibition. It appears that high-fit participants benefit from exercise more than low-fit people. Additionally, performance on behavioral tasks that represent motor and cognitive inhibition is related. This observation suggests that fitness levels and acute exercise contribute to the coupling between cognitive and motor inhibition. Neuroimaging methods would allow examining brain-behavior associations of exercise-induced changes in the brain.     

Physical fitness and self-reported physical exercise among college men and women in 1987 and 1997.

The study examined the relations of self-reported physical activity levels and physical fitness scores for two samples of college students assessed in 1987 (n = 261) and in 1997 (n = 243). Significantly greater exercise was reported by the 1997 women than the 1987 women; amount of exercise reported by men did not differ. For both samples, greater exercise was associated with increased fitness for women and men as assessed by the Hall 1986 Physical Fitness Test Profile, comprised of measures on body fat composition; grip strength; muscle endurance, flexibility, resting heart rate; systolic and diastolic blood pressures; and aerobic power. For the 1987 sample men were more fit than women. For the 1997 sample, women were more fit than men. The 1997 women were more fit than the 1987 women; there was no difference on overall fitness measures of the two samples of men.     

Openness to experience, identity flexibility, and life change in adults

The personality trait of openness to experience was used to predict identity flexibility, the tendency of adults to evaluate alternative identity commitments in the area of family and work. Openness to experience was also used as an independent variable to predict the occurrence of actual life change 12 months after identity flexibility was ascertained. A sample of 57 adults (34 women and 23 men) ranging in age from 24 to 61 (M = 41 years) was tested twice over the 12-month period. Age and openness to experience significantly predicted identity flexibility, whereas only years of education predicted life change. Identity flexibility was significantly related to life change. It was concluded that both personality and perceived and actual social resources are predictors of flexibility and life change in adulthood.     

Objectification in Fitness Centers: Self-Objectification, Body Dissatisfaction, and Disordered Eating in Aerobic Instructors and Aerobic Participants

This study was designed to investigate self-objectification, its theoretical consequences, and its relationship to reasons for exercise within a fitness center environment. Sixty female aerobic instructors and 97 female aerobic participants, who ranged in age from 18 to 45 years, completed questionnaire measures of self-objectification, reasons for exercise, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating. Increased self-objectification (and self-surveillance) was related to disordered eating symptomatology, body dissatisfaction, and appearance-related reasons for exercise. Aerobic instructors scored significantly lower on self-objectification, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating than did aerobic participants, and they exercised more for enjoyment and less for appearance-related reasons. For aerobic participants, location of exercise (inside or outside the fitness center) moderated the relationship between frequency of exercise and self-objectification, such that exercising within fitness centers was associated with relatively higher self-objectification. Higher levels of self-objectification were also related to wearing tighter exercise clothing. These results support the general model of Objectification Theory, and provide practical implications for women who exercise within objectifying environments.     

Aerobics enhances cardiovascular fitness and agility in preschoolers

Investigated effects of aerobic exercise on a sample of 24 preschoolers. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercises were provided daily for a period of 8 weeks for a group of 12 children while the remaining 12 children engaged in freeplay on the school playground. The children were given pretests and posttests on the following measures: a submaximal exercise test on a pediatric bicycle (baseline and three workloads), an agility test, a health knowledge test, a self-esteem scale, and an observational measure of their gross-motor activity. Despite comparability on pretests, significant group X repeated measures effects suggested that the aerobic exercise group showed decreases in heart rate at all three workloads as well as increases in agility and self-esteem following the exercise program. These findings suggest that cardiovascular fitness, agility, and self-esteem can be facilitated in preschoolers by an aerobic exercise program.