Psychological States Following a Maximal Exercise Test: The Impact of Manipulated Performance Feedback in Competitive Athletes

This experiment was designed to test the effect of performance feedback on the psychological state that follows an acute bout of maximal aerobic exercise. Forty competitive athletes were recruited and asked to perform a graded, maximal exercise test. Performance feedback was manipulated in the first two minutes following exercise to produce 4 conditions: (1) high performance, (2) low performance, (3) accurate feedback, and (4) no exercise control. Negative and positive psychological states were assessed prior to and at 10, 25 and 40 min post exercise. Results indicated that performance feedback moderated indicators of both positive and negative psychological states immediately after exercise. At 10 min post exercise, low performance feedback participants reported low positive states and high negative states. Although the differences in positive states remained throughout recovery, the differences in negative states were short lived. Groups did not differ in negative states 40 min following exercise. Results are discussed with regard to the mastery hypothesis.