Does Exercise Modality Matter Affectively? Contrasting Type and Sequence of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Versus High-Intensity Interval Training in a Randomized Within-Subject Study.

Over the past two decades, affective determinants of exercise behavior have received increasing attention in research on health promotion and prevention. To date, however, little is known about changes in affective exercise determinants during multi-week training programs in insufficiently active individuals. This applies in particular to the currently discussed advantages and disadvantages of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) compared with moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) with regard to the affective experience of these two training types (e.g., reduced monotony vs. more aversive response during HIIT), which is important for exercise adherence. Referring to the Affect and Health Behavior Framework (AHBF), this within-subject study investigated changes in affective exercise determinants as a function of training type and sequence consisting of MICT and HIIT. Forty insufficiently active healthy adults (M age = 27 ± 6 years; 72% women) underwent two 6-week training periods in a randomized sequence (MICT - HIIT vs. HIIT - MICT) within 15 weeks. Pre-post questionnaires and in-situ measurements, during and after a standardized vigorous-intensity continuous exercise session (VICE), were used to assess affective attitude, intrinsic motivation, in-task affective valence, as well as post-exercise enjoyment. These four affect-related constructs were collected before, between, and after the two training periods. Mixed models revealed a significant effect for training sequence (p = 0.011) - but not for training type (p = 0.045; non-significant after Bonferroni alpha adjustment) - on changes in in-task affective valence in favor of the MICT - HIIT sequence. Moreover, no significant training type or sequence effects were found for the constructs of reflective processing: exercise enjoyment, affective attitude, and intrinsic motivation. Therefore, individual-based training recommendations should consider the effects of variety and training sequence to develop tailored interventions that lead to more positive affective experiences - in particular during exercise - and promote the maintenance of exercise behavior in previously inactive individuals.

Implementation and evaluation of an individualized physical exercise promotion program in people with manifested risk factors for multimorbidity (MultiPill-Exercise): a study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity is a major problem in Europe, increasing the need for prevention and rehabilitation programs. In Germany no guidelines have been developed that focus on patients with multiple chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Benefits of physical activity (PA) and exercise in NCDs have been proven, but most interventions focus on single conditions. The evaluation of the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of PA programs in patients suffering from multiple NCDs and the feasibility of the implementation within the health care service remain open research questions. METHODS: The multi-site randomized controlled pragmatic trial includes 320 sedentary subjects with at least two of the following NCDs, either manifested or in a pre-stage with evident risk factors: Cardio-vascular disease, Diabetes mellitus type 2, knee/ hip osteoarthritis and obesity. Participants will be recruited from general practitioners and medical specialists and randomized to standard care of a statutory health insurance or MultiPill-Exercise. Standard care includes a choice of one or a maximum of two 8- to 12-week health programs, including nutrition, exercise, relaxation or special disease management programs. MultiPill-Exercise is based on the bio-psycho-social health model, considering a person-oriented perspective in light of given individual characteristics and context factors. The 24-weeks intervention focuses on aerobic and strengthening exercises in line with the WHO PA recommendations. Psychological and pedagogical elements along with behavior change techniques are implemented to ease the initiation and maintenance of exercise participation and lifestyle change, including nutrition. Primary outcome will be short- and long-term PA measured with the European Health Interview Survey-Physical Activity Questionnaire (EHIS-PAQ). Secondly, the effectiveness of the program on generic, disease specific, economic, and exercise behavioral parameters, as well as program adherence and safety will be evaluated. DISCUSSION: Results of this trial evaluate the PA intervention program in people with multiple NCDs in a real-life scenario. It will serve as a proof of concept with the opportunity of translation into routine practice. This approach, as a multi-site RCT with its rigorous methods and standardized operating procedures for the conduction of the intervention, will allow valid conclusions for the implementation of PA interventions in people with multimorbidity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at www.drks.de (ID: DRKS00025033 ) on 30th September 2021.

Different Endurance Exercise Modalities, Different Affective Response: A Within-Subject Study.

Affect experienced during an exercise session is supposed to predict future exercise behavior. However, empirical evidence reveals high variability in affective response to different exercise modalities. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to compare acute affective response and its variation during three different endurance exercise modalities: (a) moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE), (b) vigorous-intensity continuous exercise (VICE), and (c) high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE). Using the dual-mode theory as a theoretical framework, cognitive and interoceptive factors were considered as potential predictors of in-task affective response. In a within-subject design, 40 insufficiently active healthy participants (aged from 20 to 40 years) attended three sessions per exercise modality on a cycle ergometer. Affective valence (measured by the Feeling Scale), two cognitive factors (perceived competence and awareness of interoceptive cues), and one interoceptive factor (heart rate) were assessed before, during, and after each exercise session. Mixed models with three levels (subject, exercise session, and time point) revealed more positive affective valence during MICE compared with VICE (p < 0.001) and HIIE (p < 0.01), while there was no significant difference between the latter two. Levene's test results showed the highest variability of in-task affective valence during VICE (ps < 0.01). Regarding the course across the session, MICE was associated with a constant slight increase in affective valence from pre- to post-exercise (p < 0.05), whereas VICE and HIIE caused a decline in pleasure, followed by an affective rebound immediately after exercise termination (ps < 0.01). The highest importance of cognitive and interoceptive factors for in-task affective valence was observed in VICE (ps < 0.05). The current findings provide support for the tenets of the dual-mode theory, however, indicating that there may be differences in the affect-intensity relationship between continuous and interval exercise. In conclusion, the study results concerning previously insufficiently active individuals extend the knowledge of how exercise can positively shape affective well-being depending on exercise modality and psychophysiological influences. This knowledge enables public health practitioners to design more individualized activity recommendations, thereby improving the subjective experience of exercise.

Evaluation of striatal dopamine transporter function in rats by in vivo beta-[123I]CIT pinhole SPECT.

Striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) function was evaluated in rats by in vivo SPECT-MRI coregistration using the radioligand 2-beta-carbomethoxy-3-beta-(4-[123I]iodophenyl)tropane (beta-[123I]CIT). The reconstructed transaxial resolution of 3.5 mm full width at half-maximum and the system sensitivity of 0.081 c/s/kBq using a 2.0-mm pinhole collimator aperture provided adequate spatial detail and sufficient sensitivity for imaging striatal beta-[123I]CIT uptake. SPECT images, coregistered onto a MRI template, showed high accuracy in the coronal and transverse planes (maximum mismatch of 1.3 mm). Following estimation of the in vivo binding equilibrium of beta-[123I]CIT in the healthy rat striatum, we evaluated the 6-hydroxydopamine-induced loss of striatal DAT function using beta-[123I]CIT SPECT and MRI coregistration and correlated these findings with dopaminergic cell counts in the substantia nigra pars compacta using TH immunohistochemistry. A subtotal unilateral DAT deficit was detected by beta-[123I]CIT SPECT in all animals which correlated significantly with the cell counting of the remaining dopaminergic neurons. beta-[123I]CIT pinhole SPECT provides a powerful and widely available tool for in vivo investigations of rat striatal DAT function. In contrast to classical autoradiography, the present method will be helpful in imaging dynamic changes of neurotransmission in the CNS by virtue of serial study designs. Depending on SPECT ligand availability, a wide range of other CNS receptors may be imaged as well using the presented in vivo technique.