Using a Multidimensional Motivation’s Scale during Effort to Understand How Motivation Evolves with Intensity and Fatigue

Abstract

Motivation is an important factor in getting athletes to reach their maximal potential, but no questionnaire or scale to observe motivation during exercise has been developed. Objective: The first aim of this study was to test the validity and the reliability of a new French Multidimensional Motivation Scale during Effort (MMSE) constructed to determine Intrinsic Motivation (IM), External Regulation (ExtR), Introjected Regulation (IntroR), Identified Regulation (IdentR), Integrated Regulation (IntegR) and Amotivation (Am). The second aim was to use it during intermittent exercises to understand how motivation evolves with intensity and fatigue. Methods: A hundred and four trained athletes answered the French version of BREQ-3 and French MMSE before the protocol. Then, they performed a running test-retest (Test 1 and Test 2) around one loop (770 m) at level 4 of the CR10 Borg scale. Then, they were asked to perform five loops at the intensity of effort 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 using the same scale (Test 3). Finally, 28 of these athletes were asked to perform more series of 20 squat jumps without charge until exhaustion (Test 4). Results: The results show that all motivational parameters of MMSE were correlated with BREQ-3, except for Am. No motivational parameter was significantly different between Test 1 and Test 2, and they were significantly correlated.During Test 3, IM was significantly reduced with intensity (−34.6%; p < 0.001) whereas the increase of IntegR (+17.3%; p < 0.001) helped to maintain a motivational reserve. During Test 4, the diminution of power output (−15.3%, p < 0.05) and the velocity (−19.1%, p < 0.05) were associated with an important decrease of IM (−81.2%, p < 0.001) and a slight decrease of IdentR (−37.3%, p < 0.001) and ExtR (−32.6%, p < 0.05). Conclusion: MMSE is valid and reliable to measure motivation during exercise.