Affective and enjoyment responses to a high-intensity interval exercise with elastic resistance

Introduction: Positive affective and enjoyment responses have been linked to longer-term adherence to exercise. Exercise intensity influences affective responses and enjoyment, but it is still unclear whether a new type of high-intensity exercise consisting of running with elastic resistance fixed in a belt can evoke positive or negative psychophysiological responses. Objective: This study compared affective, enjoyment, and physiological responses between high-intensity interval training on a treadmill (HIIT) and high-intensity interval training with elastic resistance (EL-HIIT). Methodology: Eighteen healthy adults (8 men and 10 women; 26.6 ± 3.9 years) participated in randomized HIIT and EL-HIIT sessions. Each session consisted of 10 × 1-minute intervals at ~85-90% V̇O2max with 1-minute passive recovery intervals. Affective responses were assessed before, during (at the end of each effort), and 10 minutes after each session, while enjoyment responses were assessed post-session. A two-way ANOVA was used to compare responses before, during, and after each session, and a paired t-test for post-session differences. Results: The EL-HIIT session elicited less positive affective responses during the session compared to HIIT (p < 0.05). Ten minutes after EL-HIIT, the affective response was more positive, and both sessions exhibited a high level of enjoyment. Discussion: EL-HIIT and HIIT provided similar positive affective, enjoyment, self-efficacy, and future intention. The results are similar to those of studies that applied HIIT protocols. Conclusions: Although AR declined during the session, neither protocol resulted in a negative psychological response. EL-HIIT and HIIT provided similar positive affective, enjoyment, self-efficacy, and future intention responses after exercise.