Exercise for affect and enjoyment in overweight or obese males: a comparison of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is effective for generating positive cardiovascular health and fitness benefits. This study compared HIIT and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) for affective state and enjoyment in sedentary males with overweight or obesity.Twenty-eight participants performed stationary cycling for 6 weeks × 3 sessions/week. Participants were randomly allocated to HIIT (N=16) (10 × 1-minute intervals at ~90% peak heart rate) or MICT (N=12) (30 minutes at 65-75% peak heart rate). Affective state changes were assessed after 6-weeks training. Enjoyment and acute change in affect were assessed after individual training sessions.HIIT participants reported improved positive affect following 6 weeks training (∆ 3.6 ± 4.6, p = 0.007, effect size d = 0.70), without corresponding improvement in negative affect (p = 0.48, d = -0.19). MICT did not induce any improvement in positive affect (p = 0.56, d = 0.16) or negative affect (p = 0.23, d = -0.41). Enjoyment ratings were comparable for both exercise formats (HIIT: 4.4 ± 0.4 on a 7-point scale; MICT: 4.3 ± 0.3; p = 0.70, d = 0.15).Six weeks of HIIT induced improvement in positive affect in sedentary participants with overweight or obesity. Enjoyment of training was only slightly above neutral levels for both training formats.