How acute aerobic exercise and social interactions influence mood and cognitive functioning in healthy adults: A pilot study

Study aim: Aerobic exercise has many benefits including improvements in mood and cognition. Group exercise has been suggested to better improve mood compared to exercise alone, but there is no consensus and few studies attempting to understand exercise and social influences on mood and cognition. This study’s purpose was to begin filling this gap by isolating socialization from exercise to determine how each affect mood and cognitive changes.

Materials and methods: Twenty-five adults (24.2 ± 1.69 years) performed four 30-minute sessions including either acute exercise or sedentary, and either social interaction or limited social interaction. Mood was assessed using a Profile of Mood States and a State-trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire. Cognitive assessments were performed using computerized Stroop and Eriksen Flanker tasks. Mood and cognition were assessed prior-to and following each session. Differences in mood and cognitive performance were analyzed for main effects of both exercise and social interactions in a two-by-two within subject design.

Results: Both exercise and social interactions influenced mood parameters, with fatigue being reduced by exercise and social interaction, total mood disturbance approaching significance for exercise, and hostility being reduced by socialization. Vigor approached significance for exercise and had a significant interaction with socialization. No cognitive improvements were observed, likely due to cognitive tasks lacking sufficient sensitivity for cognitively healthy young adults.

Conclusion: Both exercise and social interactions can improve mood parameters, and when performed together there may be an additive effect for some mood parameters. Additional studies are needed to elucidate these acute effects.