Self-selected Recovery in High-intensity Interval Training Promotes Positive Responses in Affect, Pleasure, and Mood in Young People
Question
Does self-selected recovery during acute treadmill HIIT improve affect, pleasure, and mood compared with fixed active recovery in young people?
Summary
In 19 healthy active university students, a single treadmill HIIT session with self-selected recovery produced emotional responses that were broadly similar to fixed active recovery. Both formats increased pleasure and improved several mood dimensions, but fatigue rose and vigor fell.
Methodology
- Healthy active university students.
- 19 participants.
- Treadmill running.
- Work intervals: 30 seconds at 95% Vpeak.
- Recovery: Self-selected, mean 46.70 +/- 16.58 seconds.
- Intensity: 95% Vpeak.
- About 30 minutes.
- Single acute session.
- Acute crossover.
- Randomized crossover acute laboratory study
- Affect, Pleasure, and Mood were tracked.
Outcomes
Pleasure
Pleasure improved over time in both conditions.
Time effect p < 0.010; no condition effect.
Mood
Tension, depression, anger, and confusion improved, while fatigue rose and vigor fell descriptively.
Time effects reported for tension p < 0.001, depression p < 0.015, anger p < 0.015, mental confusion p < 0.001.
Recovery format
Self-selected recovery was not superior to fixed recovery for emotional variables.
No condition or time-by-condition effects.
Insights
- Self-selected recovery can be offered without clear acute affective downside in healthy active young adults.
- Affect and mood may improve acutely after either fixed- or self-selected-recovery HIIT.
Limitations
- Small sample.
- Acute-only study.
- Healthy active young adults limit generalizability.
- Long-term adherence was not tested.
Safety
- No myoarticular discomfort, pain, or injury was observed.
- All 19 selected participants completed all study stages.
- Sessions were supervised in a laboratory treadmill setting.