The effect of bicycle ergometer exercise at varying intensities on the heart rate, emg and mood state responses to a mental arithmetic stressor

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of bicycle ergometer exercise at varying metabolic intensities upon the heart rate, electromyographic (EMG), and mood state responses to a timed mental arithmetic stressor. Twelve males participated in four experimental conditions: three exercise trials consisting of workloads of 40%, 55%, and 70% of physical work capacity, and an attentional control condition. Daily test protocol involved the following time sequence: habituation, baseline, exercise or control condition (presented in a counterbalanced order), recovery, mental arithmetic, and completion of mood state questionnaire. Results indicated no differential response to the mental arithmetic stressor across the four conditions for the 12 subjects for heart rate, EMG activity, or mood state. Thus, 15 min of exercise at 40%, 55%, and 70% of physical work capacity proved to be no different from an attentional control condition in influencing the physiological and psychological responses to the mental arithmetic stressor.