Affect-regulated exercise: an alternative approach for lifestyle modification in overweight/obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract

Objective: Affect-regulated exercise (“ARE”) is an alternative approach to guide exercise intensity based on feeling of pleasure. The aim of this study was to analyze if overweight/obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) meet the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommendation regarding to exercise intensity to improve health status during a single bout of “ARE".

Methods: A sample of 14 overweight/obese women with PCOS (18–34 years) performed a single bout of “ARE” (40 min of aerobic exercise on outdoor track). The Feeling Scale (FS) was used to guide “ARE” intensity/pace maintaining an affective valence between “good” and “very good” during all time. Heart rate (HR), speed, % of HR at first and second ventilatory threshold (VT₁ and VT₂) and time spent at moderate (64–76% of HR_max) and vigorous (77–95% of HR_max) intensity during “ARE” were measured with a global positioning system (GPS) device.

Results: Volunteers exercised at 73% (68–78%) of HR_max, 5.8 (5.2–6.2) km/h, 93.4% of HR at VT₁ (89.3–98.2) and 80.5% of HR at VT₂ (75.3–84.6) and spent >80% of time at moderate intensity.

Conclusions: Overweight/obese women with PCOS met the ACSM recommendation regarding exercise intensity to improve health status when exercised between “good” and “very good” of FS. Thus, “ARE” may be an interesting approach to be used in clinical practice regarding to exercise prescription and/or physical activity advice.

Chinese abstract

目的：情绪调控锻炼(“ARE”)是一种基于愉悦感的指导锻炼强度的选择方法。研究的目的为分析在一次“ARE”中，超重/肥胖的多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者是否达到了美国运动医学会（ACSM）关于改善健康状态所推荐的锻炼强度。

方法：包含14名超重/肥胖的多囊卵巢综合症患者(18-34岁)，进行了单次“ARE”（户外跑道40分钟有氧运动）。情绪量表（FS）用于指导“ARE”强度/步 维持情绪评价在“好”和“非常好”之间。心率，速度，第一和第二通气阈（VT₁和VT₂）的心率百分比以及在“ARE”中花费在中度(最大HR的64–76%)和剧烈强度(最大HR的77–95%)的时间使用全球定位装置(GPS)进行测量。

结果：志愿者锻炼时处于最大心率的73% (68–78%)，5.8 (5.2–6.2) km/h，VT₁ (89.3–98.2)心率百分比93.4% ，VT₂(75.3–84.6)心率百分比80.5% ，进行中等强度锻炼的时间大于80%。

结论：超重/肥胖的PCOS妇女在FS为“好”和“非常好”的锻炼中达到了ACSM有关改善健康状态的运动强度推荐。因此，“ARE”或许是应用于临床实践中有关运动处方和/或体力活动建议的一种有趣方式。

Keywords:

• Adherence
• affect
• affective response
• exercise
• obesity
• polycystic ovary syndrome

Acknowledgements

We thank to Leany M. Farias and Francisco F. Silveira for their support in acquisition of data.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.