We determined the effect of supervised physical training, without dietary intervention, on body composition of obese girls. The subjects were 25 obese 7-to 11-year-old black girls, divided into physical training and lifestyle education groups which were comparable on baseline body composition; 22 girls finished all aspects of the study. Twelve girls engaged in aerobic training (10 weeks, 5 daydweek) while 10 engaged in weekly lifestyle discussions without formal physical training. Total body and regional body composition were measured with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, skinfolds and circumferences. Aerobic fitness was measured by heart rate response to submaximal treadmill exercise. The physical training group attended 94% of scheduled sessions and kept their heart rates at an average of 163 bpm for 28 minutedsession. The lifestyle group attended 95% of their sessions; they remained stable in aerobic fitness and most body composition measurements. The physical training group showed a significant improvement in aerobic fitness and a significant decline of 1.4% body fat. Skinfold and circumference indices of fatness also declined significantly in the training group. We conclude that controlled Submitted for publication November 1.1994. Accepted for publication in final form January 9,1995.

Participating in regular physical activity results in many positive physical and psychological effects. Even though this is widely known, the majority of Americans do not engage in regular physical activity and many persons who start an exercise program drop out shortly thereafter. A question of central importance is "What motivates a person to adhere to an exercise program?" A collection of quantitative and qualitative studies has shown enjoyment of exercise to be an important factor in determining adherence to exercise. Despite these findings, very little research has been conducted on factors contributing to exercise enjoyment. The purpose of this study was to examine variables believed to make such a contribution. Variables were selected based upon results of past research and theory. These were: satisfaction with the music used in the exercise environment, satisfaction with the exercise instructor, and salience of exercise role-identity (EIS). Subjects for this study were 282 female volunteers from not-for-credit aerobic dance classes at 2 university activity centers. Results revealed significant positive correlations between all 3 variables and exercise enjoyment, ranging from .34 to .45. Stepwise regression indicated that satisfaction with music (21%) accounted for the most variance in exercise enjoyment followed by satisfaction with the instructor (8%), and finally salience of exercise role identity (4%). Follow-up analyses to examine specific components of satisfaction with music and the exercise instructor were also conducted.

This study examined the effects of attentional intervention strategies upon perceived exertion in female exercisers (N = 13). Interventions were based upon Stevinson and Biddle's (1999) coping strategy model, from which 4 variations of attentional style are derived: internal and external association, and internal and external dissociation. The first of 5 sessions consisted of a sub-maximal VO 2 test aimed at assessing aerobic capacity of the participants. In the following 4 sessions, participants pedaled on stationary cycling ergometer at 75% VO2 max for 10 minutes, and rated their perceived exertion (RPE) in 1-minute intervals. Significant (p < .01) differences in RPE between the associative and dissociative treatments emerged. The 2 associative treatments resulted in higher RPE levels than the 2 dissociative treatments for the same physical load. However, non-significant differences in RPE emerged between the internal and external dimensions, suggesting that the associative-dissociative dimension is the main determinant of RPE. Pragmatic applications of these findings and future research directions are offered.

The discovery of enkaphalin, an opiate peptide in the brain, has led to speculation as to its role in the occurrence of the phenomenon known as the “runner's high.” The authors review current research trends and develop hypothetical proposals regarding the relationship between enkephalin and the euphoric, consciousness altering experience, the “runner's high.”

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