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INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF AN EXERCISE COMPANION ON EXERCISE PERFORMANCE AND PERCEIVED EXERTION

Abstract

A. Garay,H. Anderson, H. Davis, R. Fehrenbacher, C. Gilmore, J. McKenzie

Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA

PURPOSE: It is of interest to determine if companionship during exercise decreases perceived exertion (RPE) and increases performance. METHODS: Twenty-one subjects completed two 20-minute bouts of stationary biking exercise at 75% of their age-predicted max heart rate. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate, RPE, and distance were measured before, during, and after each trial. Solo and companion trials were separated by at least 24 hours. Differences in RPE, distance traveled, and BP were compared between trials using paired t-tests. Repeated measures ANOVA analyses were used to assess changes in RPE at different points within each trial and between trials.RESULTS: There were no significant differences for RPE (p= .200) or total distance traveled (p= .933) between the companion (8.2 ± 2.6 km) and solo (8.2 ± 2.4 km) trials. Although not significant, RPE during the companion trial decreasedover time (12.6 ±1.8) for the females and increased for the males (11.0 ±1.7), but during the solo trial, males decreased (11.6±1.0)and females increased (12.7 ±1.3). Post-exercise Activation-Deactivation Adjective Checklist (AD-ACL) scores for energy and tiredness were not significant overall, but females reported post-exercise AD-ACL tiredness scores that were higher during the companion trial (p = .047, 1.8 ±0.6) while males reported post-exercise AD-ACL energy scores that were higher during the companion trial (p = .015, 3.1 ±0.4).CONCLUSION: Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the presence of an exercise companion while exercising was neither a positive or negative psychological distraction, as there was no overall significant change in exercise performance or RPE between the trials, although subtle relationships existed within the data to suggest that exercising with a companion felt easier for females and harder for males.

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