Exploring Energetic Arousal During Physical Activity In Women With Pregnancy Hyperglycemia: Does Timing Matter?

PURPOSE: Physical activity (PA) is recommended for individuals with pregnancy-induced hyperglycemia but is typically low. Energetic arousal, a dimension of affective well-being, encompasses feelings ranging from energetic to worn-out. Outside of pregnancy, increased energetic arousal is associated with increased PA. To our knowledge, whether the timing of PA relates to energetic arousal is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the potential influence of PA timing on energetic arousal. METHODS: Preliminary data (N = 15) obtained from the Time to Move Randomized Crossover Trial (Clinicaltrials.gov #NCT06125704) were used in this analysis. The Time to Move Trial is comparing 2-days of 30-minutes of: moderate-intensity walking in the morning (i.e., between 5-9 am, and within 30-40 minutes of starting breakfast) vs. walking in the evening (i.e., between 4-8 pm, and within 30-40 minutes of starting dinner) in individuals with pregnancy-induced hyperglycemia. Energetic arousal during PA is evaluated via smartphone survey, within 2 hours of PA. Two items assess energetic arousal, i.e., feeling ‘energetic’ and ‘worn-out’, each on a 6-point Likert scale representing ‘definitely not’ to ‘extremely’. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests were used to compare energetic arousal metrics for morning vs. evening PA. Participants also report their ‘type’ (morning vs. evening preference). RESULTS: Overall, 60% identified as morning types. There were no differences in feeling energetic [morning 3.5 (SD 0.94) vs. evening 3.76 (SD 1.37), P = .29] or worn-out [morning 2.96 (SD 1.17) vs. evening 3.13 (SD 1.2), P = .60] during PA. See Figure for individual level data. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary analyses suggest that PA timing (morning vs. evening) is not associated with energetic arousal during PA in this population. Supported by: [American Diabetes Association grant #11-22-ICTSN-29]