It was found that intense exhausting exercise is much more useful for the mood than moderate.
These findings were made in the course of a study involving 11 volunteers. They were asked to participate in two 20-minute workouts. One of them was not very intense, and the second had an increased load. The participants’ mood was evaluated before, during, immediately after, and 20 minutes after the workout.
Immediately after the workout with moderate load, the participants’ mood did not improve. But after 20 minutes of a hard workout, they said they felt more positive. According to Nicholas Smith of the University of Manchester, this finding should be useful to psychologists, coaches and those engaged in sports. Psychiatrists attribute this phenomenon to the release of endorphins – neurotransmitters that help to cope with pain.
