The influence of exercise duration and cognitions during running on feeling states in an indoor running track environment

Objectives. To examine the influence of different durations of aerobic exercise and cognitions during running on exercise-induced feeling state changes in an indoor running track environment once baseline differences in feeling states were controlled. Method. Physically active females (n=69) participated in one of three experimental conditions: a) a 25 min run at 70% heart rate reserve (HRR), b) a 40 min run at 70% HRR, or c) a 40 min no exercise control. Pre-post feeling states (EFI) were assessed and cognitions during running were recorded with 5 min left in the run. Results. Multilevel modeling analyses revealed that positive engagement and revitalization significantly increased from pre- to post-exercise in comparison to the control condition regardless of exercise duration whereas physical exhaustion was significantly reduced. However, tranquility significantly increased only in the 25 min run condition. Finally, cognitions during exercise moderated the changes in feeling states from pre- to post-exercise above and beyond exercise duration with participants reporting dissociative-external thoughts reporting greater increases in revitalization and decreases in physical exhaustion. Conclusions. Both objective demands of the exercise task (i.e., exercise duration) and subjective intrapsychic phenomena (i.e., cognitions during running) may aid in explaining exercise-induced feeling state changes.