Effects of self-control on the tolerance to high-intensity exercise
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2021.163.10Keywords:
Exercise psychology, Health behaviour, Public healthAbstract
High-intensity exercise has efficient elements such as time saving and metabolic benefits, while it is physiologically demanding, and requires stronger mental capacity than traditional exercise regimens. The present study aimed to examine differences in exercise intensity relative to self-control in exercise participants. Participants completed the multistage 20 m shuttle run test (MST) in an indoor gymnasium under the same environmental condition. Participants (N = 81; male n = 55; Mage = 23.06 years) completed measures of self-control and motivation for participation in aerobic exercises. Additionally, heart rate, high-intensity exercise volume, and perceived exertion were used to measure exercise intensity. Self-control has a significant positive correlation with several variables that measure exercise intensity. In addition, hierarchical regression analyses showed that trait self-control positively and significantly predict exercise intensity after controlling for self-determined motivation. Trait self-control is a significant psychological variable to account for behaviours related to high-intensity exercise and it might be more important for the tolerance the exercise intensity than one’s self-determined motivation to it.
Funding
NoneDownloads
References
Ainslie, G. (1975). Specious reward: a behavioral theory of impulsiveness and impulse control. Psychological Bulletin, 82(4), 463. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076860
Annesi, J. J., & Gorjala, S. (2010). Relations of self-regulation and self-efficacy for exercise and eating and BMI change: A field investigation. Biopsychosocial Medicine, 4(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-4-10
Baumeister, R. F. (2002). Yielding to temptation: Self-control failure, impulsive purchasing, and consumer behavior. Journal of consumer Research, 28(4), 670-676. https://doi.org/10.1086/338209
Baumeister, R. F., Gailliot, M., DeWall, C. N., & Oaten, M. (2006). Self‐regulation and personality: How interventions increase regulatory success, and how depletion moderates the effects of traits on behavior. Journal of Personality, 74(6), 1773-1802. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2006.00428.x
Baumeister, R. F., & Heatherton, T. (1996). Self-regulation failure: An overview. Psychological Inquiry, Vol. 7, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0701_1
Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Tice, D. M. (2007). The strength model of self-control. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16(6), 351-355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00534.x
Biddle, S. J., & Batterham, A. M. (2015). High-intensity interval exercise training for public health: a big HIT or shall we HIT it on the head? International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12(1), 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-015-0254-9
Borg, G. A. (1982). Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 14(5), 377-381. https://doi.org/10.1249/00005768-198205000-00012
Briki, W. (2016). Motivation toward physical exercise and subjective wellbeing: the mediating role of trait self-control. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1546. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01546
Brownsberger, J., Edwards, A., Crowther, R., & Cottrell, D. (2013). Impact of mental fatigue on self-paced exercise. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 34(12), 1029-1036. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1343402
Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (2000). Scaling back goals and recalibration of the affect system are processes in normal adaptive self-regulation: understanding ‘response shift’phenomena. Social Science and Medicine, 50(12), 1715-1722. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0277-9536(99)00412-8
Cho, H., & Kwon, S. (2011). Influence of self-control and affect on binge eating behavior. Korean Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30(4), 963-983.
Cox, K. L., Burke, V., Gorely, T. J., Beilin, L., & Puddey, I. B. (2003). Controlled comparison of retention and adherence in home-vs center-initiated exercise interventions in women ages 40–65 years: the SWEAT study (Sedentary Women Exercise Adherence Trial). Preventive Medicine, 36(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2002.1134
Dishman, R. K., & Sallis, J. F. (1994). Determinants and interventions for physical activity and exercise. In C. Bouchard, R. J. Shephard, & T. Stephens (Eds.), Physical activity, fitness, and health: International proceedings and consensus statement (p. 214–238). Human Kinetics Publishers.
Duncan, L. R., Hall, C. R., Wilson, P. M., & Jenny, O. (2010). Exercise motivation: a cross-sectional analysis examining its relationships with frequency, intensity, and duration of exercise. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-7
Garber, C. E., Blissmer, B., Deschenes, M. R., Franklin, B. A., Lamonte, M. J., Lee, I.-M., Swain, D. P. (2011). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(7), 1334-1359. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e318213fefb
Hagger, M. S., Wood, C. W., Stiff, C., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. (2010). Self-regulation and self-control in exercise: The strength-energy model. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3(1), 62-86. https://doi.org/10.1080/17509840903322815
Hall, E. E., Ekkekakis, P., & Petruzzello, S. J. (2005). Is the relationship of RPE to psychological factors intensity-dependent? Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 37(8), 1365-1373. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000174897.25739.3c
Kessler, H. S., Sisson, S. B., & Short, K. R. (2012). The potential for high-intensity interval training to reduce cardiometabolic disease risk. Sports Medicine, 42(6), 489-509. https://doi.org/10.2165/11630910-000000000-00000
Kim, Y., Yang, J., & Lee, J. (2007). Application of self-determination theory to predicting stages of change for physical activity behavior. Korean J Sport Sci, 18(4), 208-217. https://doi.org/10.24985/kjss.2007.18.4.208
Lewinsohn, S., & Mano, H. (1993). Multi‐attribute choice and affect: The influence of naturally occurring and manipulated moods on choice processes. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 6(1), 33-51. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.3960060103
Lindgren, K. P., Neighbors, C., Westgate, E., & Salemink, E. (2014). Self-control and implicit drinking identity as predictors of alcohol consumption, problems, and cravings. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 75(2), 290-298. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2014.75.290
Marcora, S. M., Staiano, W., & Manning, V. (2009). Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 106(3), 857-864. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.91324.2008
Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Rodriguez, M. I. (1989). Delay of gratification in children. Science, 244(4907), 933-938. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2658056
Muraven, M., Tice, D. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (1998). Self-control as a limited resource: regulatory depletion patterns. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(3), 774. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.774
Oaten, M., & Cheng, K. (2006). Improved self-control: The benefits of a regular program of academic study. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 28(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15324834basp2801_1
Perri, M. G., Anton, S. D., Durning, P. E., Ketterson, T. U., Sydeman, S. J., Berlant, N. E., Martin, A. D. (2002). Adherence to exercise prescriptions: effects of prescribing moderate versus higher levels of intensity and frequency. Health Psychology, 21(5), 452. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.21.5.452
Pescatello, L. S., Riebe, D., & Thompson, P. D. (2014). ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Pessiglione, M., Schmidt, L., Draganski, B., Kalisch, R., Lau, H., Dolan, R. J., & Frith, C. D. (2007). How the brain translates money into force: a neuroimaging study of subliminal motivation. Science, 316(5826), 904-906. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1140459
Petruzzello, S. J., Landers, D. M., Hatfield, B. D., Kubitz, K. A., & Salazar, W. (1991). A meta-analysis on the anxiety-reducing effects of acute and chronic exercise. Sports Medicine, 11(3), 143-182. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199111030-00002
Rejeski, W. J. (1985). Perceived exertion: an active or passive process? Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 7(4), 371-378. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsp.7.4.371
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
Segerstrom, S. C., & Nes, L. S. (2007). Heart rate variability reflects self-regulatory strength, effort, and fatigue. Psychological Science, 18(3), 275-281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01888.x
Tang, Y.-Y., Posner, M. I., Rothbart, M. K., & Volkow, N. D. (2015). Circuitry of self-control and its role in reducing addiction. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19(8), 439-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2015.06.007
Tangney, J. P., Baumeister, R. F., & Boone, A. L. (2004). High self‐control predicts good adjustment, less pathology, better grades, and interpersonal success. Journal of Personality, 72(2), 271-324. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00263.x
Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Shepherd, S. O., Ntoumanis, N., Wagenmakers, A. J., & Shaw, C. S. (2016). Intrinsic motivation in two exercise interventions: Associations with fitness and body composition. Health Psychology, 35(2), 195. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000260
Vohs, K. D., Baumeister, R. F., & Schmeichel, B. J. (2012). Motivation, personal beliefs, and limited resources all contribute to self-control. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(4), 943-947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.03.002
Vohs, K. D., & Heatherton, T. F. (2000). Self-regulatory failure: A resource-depletion approach. Psychological Science, 11(3), 249-254. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00250
Vøllestad, N. K. (1997). Measurement of human muscle fatigue. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 74(2), 219-227. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0270(97)02251-6
Wilson, P. M., & Rodgers, W. M. (2004). The relationship between perceived autonomy support, exercise regulations and behavioral intentions in women. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 5(3), 229-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1469-0292(03)00003-7
Wright, R. A., Junious, T. R., Neal, C., Avello, A., Graham, C., Herrmann, L., Walton, N. (2007). Mental fatigue influence on effort-related cardiovascular response: Difficulty effects and extension across cognitive performance domains. Motivation and Emotion, 31(3), 219-231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-007-9066-9
Downloads
Statistics
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2018 Journal of Human Sport and Exercise

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Each author warrants that his or her submission to the Work is original and that he or she has full power to enter into this agreement. Neither this Work nor a similar work has been published elsewhere in any language nor shall be submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration by JHSE. Each author also accepts that the JHSE will not be held legally responsible for any claims of compensation.
Authors wishing to include figures or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright holder(s) and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.
Please include at the end of the acknowledgements a declaration that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed. The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the abovementioned requirements. The author(s) will be held responsible for false statements or failure to fulfill the above-mentioned requirements.
This title is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
You are free to share, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
Transfer of Copyright
In consideration of JHSE’s publication of the Work, the authors hereby transfer, assign, and otherwise convey all copyright ownership worldwide, in all languages, and in all forms of media now or hereafter known, including electronic media such as CD-ROM, Internet, and Intranet, to JHSE. If JHSE should decide for any reason not to publish an author’s submission to the Work, JHSE shall give prompt notice of its decision to the corresponding author, this agreement shall terminate, and neither the author nor JHSE shall be under any further liability or obligation.
Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article, except as disclosed on a separate attachment. All funding sources supporting the Work and all institutional or corporate affiliations of the authors are acknowledged in a footnote in the Work.
Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the protocol for any investigation involving humans or animals and that all experimentation was conducted in conformity with ethical and humane principles of research.
Competing Interests
Biomedical journals typically require authors and reviewers to declare if they have any competing interests with regard to their research.
JHSE require authors to agree to Copyright Notice as part of the submission process.