Moderating Effect of Sport Competitive Orientation on the Relationship between Exercise Satisfaction and Exercise Adherence Intention in Collegiate Athletes

Purpose: This study examines the moderating effect of competitive sports orientation on the relationship between exercise satisfaction and the intention to adhere to exercise. The aim is to provide practical implications for using exercise satisfaction as an intervention strategy to enhance adherence intentions among collegiate athletes. Specifically, the study seeks concrete empirical insights to inform tailored interventions based on athletes’ cooperative versus antagonistic competitive orientations.<br/> Method: Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to examine whether competitive sports orientation moderates the relationship between exercise satisfaction and exercise adherence intention among collegiate athletes.<br/> Results: The analysis indicated that an antagonistic (conflict-oriented) competitive orientation can diminish the positive effect of exercise satisfaction on both the predisposition and perceived likelihood dimensions of exercise adherence intention.<br/> Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of fostering more adaptive perceptions of competition and competitive outcomes. The active implementation of practice-oriented interventions, such as the development and systematic application of psychological skills training, is recommended to enhance adherence.