Individual Differences in Preference For and Tolerance of Exercise Intensity: Relations with Affective and Behavioral Outcomes of Aerobic Exercise

Abstract

Knowledge of the exercise intensity individuals prefer and their tolerance of exercise intensity may be helpful in developing exercise prescriptions for successful exercise adherence. PURPOSE: To examine how individual differences in the preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity are associated with affective and behavioral outcomes to different exercise intensities. METHODS: Self-reported physically active participants (N=35; n=13 females, n=22 males; 21.2±2.0 yrs; VO2max=48.13±2.7 ml·kg-1·min-1) exercised on a treadmill for 20 min at either 40% or 60% of VO2max on separate days. Prior to any exercise, participants completed the Preference for and Tolerance of Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire (PRETIE-Q), a 16-item self-report measure designed to assess individual differences for preferences for (P) and tolerances of (T) intense exercise. Feeling Scale (FS), RPE, and AD ACL measures of affect were obtained before, during, and after exercise. RESULTS: The Both P and T subscales were significantly related to fitness (rs = 0.49, 0.396). P was significantly related to GXT exercise time (r = 0.38), and Tension (rs = -0.30 to -0.41). T was significantly related to RPE (rs = -0.29 to -0.37) and FS during (rs = 0.35 to 0.46), and after (rs = 0.36 to 0.39) both intensities. Further, T was related to pre- and post-affect (Energy: rs = 0.30 to 0.40; Tiredness: rs = -0.33 to -0.48; Tension: rs = -0.30 to -0.38). Partial correlations (controlling for fitness) resulted in stronger relations in nearly all cases. CONCLUSIONS: These data reflect the utility of individual difference measures of the preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity, particularly when controlling for aerobic fitness. Individuals with a preference for higher intensity exercise reported lower Tension before and after exercise. Similarly, individuals with a tolerance for higher intensity exercise reported greater Energy and less Tiredness before and after exercise while also reporting lower effort and more positive affect during exercise.