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Article

When Moderate Becomes Unpleasant and Intense Is Manageable: Exercise Intensity and Duration Interact to Regulate Exercise Enjoyment and Changes in Affective Valence

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Citation

Kinghorn DJ, Hutchinson M, Curry S, Zhang J & Vollaard NBJ (2026) When Moderate Becomes Unpleasant and Intense Is Manageable: Exercise Intensity and Duration Interact to Regulate Exercise Enjoyment and Changes in Affective Valence. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 48 (1), pp. 35-45. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2025-0086

Abstract
Exercise at higher intensities has been hypothesized to lead to greater decreases in affective valence, negatively impacting exercise enjoyment and adherence. Thus, findings that high-intensity interval training and sprint interval training (SIT) may be enjoyed more than moderate-intensity continuous training appear paradoxical. The aim of the present study was to examine whether this can be explained by an Intensity?¡Á?Duration interaction effect. Twenty-nine participants (18 women; mean [standard deviation] age: 24 [5] years, body mass index: 23.4 [3.2] kg/m2, VO2max: 39.5 [6.5] ml¡¤kg?1¡¤min?1) performed five cycling sessions involving either 30 min at 80%, 100%, or 110% of the ventilatory threshold (VT), SIT (22-min session including 4?¡Á?30-s all-out sprints), or reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT; 10-min session including 2?¡Á?20-s all-out sprints). The decrease in affective valence during exercise was faster with higher intensities, but the brief duration of supramaximal sprints attenuated the absolute drop (no significant differences between REHIT, ?0.7 [0.5]; 80% VT, ?0.7 [0.5]; and 100% VT, ?1.3 [0.6]; significantly greater decreases during SIT, ?1.9 [0.6] and 110% VT, ?3.0 [0.7]; both p?

Keywords
HIIT; SIT; REHIT; Feeling Scale; supramaximal

Journal
Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology: Volume 48, Issue 1

StatusPublished
Publication date31/01/2026
Publication date online31/01/2026
Date accepted by journal23/10/2025
PublisherHuman Kinetics
ISSN0895-2779
eISSN1543-2904

People (2)

Dr Sinead Currie

Dr Sinead Currie

Senior Lecturer, Psychology

Dr Niels Vollaard

Dr Niels Vollaard

Lecturer in Health and Exercise Science, Sport

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