An 8-week jump training did not boost effort value or the willingness to exert effort in a student sample

Abstract

Physical inactivity remains highly prevalent, partly driven by the aversive nature of effort. However, effort can also be experienced as rewarding, which is associated with greater overall physical activity. Accordingly, the present study investigates whether regular physical exercise alters the self-reported value of physical effort, neural activation during exercise, and the willingness to exert effort. Sixty-two young adults were assigned to either an eight-week high-intensity jump training or a control group. Participants completed a two-task cycling ergometer exercise before and after the intervention. The first task assessed the value of effort at three pre-determined intensity levels, whereas the second task allowed participants to self-select the intensity to measure their willingness to exert effort. Participants’ perceived exertion and state value of physical effort were assessed, along with neural activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and pre-supplementary motor area using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Bayesian analyses provided evidence against main effects of condition, time, as well as their interaction, for self-reported value of physical effort, willingness to exert effort, and neural activity. This suggests that the value of effort may be relatively stable, as an eight-week training intervention did not alter the value of physical effort or the willingness to exert effort.