The Effects of an Acute Bout of Moderate Intensity Exercise on Anger and EEG Responses During Elicitation of Angry Emotions

Abstract

Exercise enhances moods such as anxiety and depression, but few studies have specifically been designed to investigate whether acute exercise alters feelings of anger. PURPOSE: In this study, state anger was assessed in 16 men high in trait-anger who also viewed anger-inducing scenes before and after 30 minutes of leg-cycling exercise at 65% VO2-peak. METHODS: Brain oscillatory activity, the event-related late-positive potential (LPP), and self-reports of anger intensity were measured during picture viewing. RESULTS: Angry mood was reduced after exercise, but angry emotions and EEG correlates of angry emotions were not altered by exercise. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that acute exercise reduces angry mood and protects against angry mood induction, but does not change affective or EEG responses during elicitation of angry emotions in college-aged men who have high trait-anger. Future studies should explore the mechanisms underlying the effect of exercise on reducing angry mood, consider alternative anger-induction methods that might induce higher levels of anger, and test the effects of chronic exercise training on anger and its expression.