TY - JOUR

T1 - Carrots for the donkey: Influence of evaluative conditioning and training on self-paced exercise intensity and delay discounting of exercise in healthy adults

AU - Kubis, Hans-Peter

AU - Albelwi, Tamam

AU - Rogers, Robert

N1 - The Ministry of Health (MOH), Saudi Arabia. PhD funding: SACB ref. no. A1270.

PY - 2021/10/6

Y1 - 2021/10/6

N2 - To choose exercise over alternative behaviours, subjective reward evaluation of the potential choices is a principal step in decision making. However, the selection of exercise intensity might integrate acute visceral responses (i.e. pleasant or unpleasant feelings) and motives related to goals (i.e. enjoyment, competition, health). To understand the factorsdetermining the selection of exercise in its intensity and evaluation as a modality, we conducted a study combining exercise training and evaluative conditioning. Evaluative conditioning was performed by using a novel technique using a primary reinforcer (sweetness) asthe unconditioned stimulus and physical strain i.e. heart rate elevation as the conditionedstimulus during interval training, using a randomized control design (N = 58). Pre, post-threeweeks interval training w/o conditioning, and after 4 weeks follow-up, participants weretested on self-paced speed selection on treadmill measuring heart rate, subjective pleasantness, and effort levels, as well as delay-discounting of exercise and food rewards. Results revealed that the selection of exercise intensity was significantly increased by adaptation to training and evaluative conditioning, revealing the importance of visceral factors as well as learned expected rewards. Delay discounting rates of self-paced exercise were transientlyreduced by training but not affected by evaluative conditioning. In conclusion, exercise decisions are suggested to separate the decision-making process into a modality-specific cognitive evaluation of exercise, and an exercise intensity selection based on acute visceralexperience integrating effort, pleasantness, and learned rewards.

AB - To choose exercise over alternative behaviours, subjective reward evaluation of the potential choices is a principal step in decision making. However, the selection of exercise intensity might integrate acute visceral responses (i.e. pleasant or unpleasant feelings) and motives related to goals (i.e. enjoyment, competition, health). To understand the factorsdetermining the selection of exercise in its intensity and evaluation as a modality, we conducted a study combining exercise training and evaluative conditioning. Evaluative conditioning was performed by using a novel technique using a primary reinforcer (sweetness) asthe unconditioned stimulus and physical strain i.e. heart rate elevation as the conditionedstimulus during interval training, using a randomized control design (N = 58). Pre, post-threeweeks interval training w/o conditioning, and after 4 weeks follow-up, participants weretested on self-paced speed selection on treadmill measuring heart rate, subjective pleasantness, and effort levels, as well as delay-discounting of exercise and food rewards. Results revealed that the selection of exercise intensity was significantly increased by adaptation to training and evaluative conditioning, revealing the importance of visceral factors as well as learned expected rewards. Delay discounting rates of self-paced exercise were transientlyreduced by training but not affected by evaluative conditioning. In conclusion, exercise decisions are suggested to separate the decision-making process into a modality-specific cognitive evaluation of exercise, and an exercise intensity selection based on acute visceralexperience integrating effort, pleasantness, and learned rewards.

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0257953

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0257953

M3 - Article

VL - 16

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

IS - 10

M1 - e0257953

ER -