A MODERATE-TO-HEAVY INTENSITY WEIGHT TRAINING SESSION IMPROVES MOOD IN MALE AND FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETES

Authors

LM Biscardi
CJ Reeves
DA Stroiney

Abstract

Lauren M. Biscardi¹, Cassidy Jordan Reeves¹, Debra A. Stroiney². ¹Barton College, Wilson, NC. ²George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

BACKGROUND: The affective response to resistance training is less supported than the predictable affective response to aerobic exercise. Gender differences observed in the affective exercise response in the general population can be attributed to more training experience present in males. Affective exercise responses between genders may be similar in trained individuals, such as student-athletes. In general, females report a higher prevalence of anxiety and mood disorders, and female collegiate student-athletes report more mental health concerns than their male peers. The rising concerns of student-athlete well-being highlights a need for better understanding of the mood-boosting effect of exercise sessions in athletic populations. METHODS: 41 resistance-trained student-athletes (20.3 ± 1.6 years; 21 females) completed a full-body, multi-joint, free-weight training session lasting approximately 45 minutes. Participants were instructed to self-select moderate-to-heavy loads, representative of a typical sport-specific training session. The Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale measured positive well-being (PWB), psychological distress (PD), and fatigue (FAT) before and after the training sessions. RPE was 4.3 ± 1.8 on the Borg CR-10 scale, indicating a moderate to heavy session intensity. A mixed ANOVA with gender as a between factor and time as a within factor was run to determine differences in PWB, PD, and FAT between males and females and before and after the workout. Alpha was set at .05. RESULTS: No interaction effects were significant. A main effect for gender and time was observed for PWB and PD, while only a main effect for gender was found for fatigue (p < .05). PWB increased and PD decreased following the workout. Overall, females had lower PWB and higher PD and FAT than males. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of gender, an acute moderate-to-heavy intensity weight training session can improve mood states in trained college student-athletes. This may be particularly beneficial for females, who tend to have lower mood states compared to their male counterparts.

Recommended Citation

Biscardi, LM; Reeves, CJ; and Stroiney, DA (2023) "A MODERATE-TO-HEAVY INTENSITY WEIGHT TRAINING SESSION IMPROVES MOOD IN MALE AND FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETES," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 16: Iss. 2, Article 58.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol16/iss2/58