Exercising with a Screen or Music and Post-Exercise Energy Compensation: A Randomized Crossover Trial in Male Adolescents

Abstract

Watching television or listening to music during exercise has been shown to increase the enjoyment of the activity and decrease fatigue for some people. However, it is currently unknown how these stimuli during an exercise session play a role in postexercise energy intake and/or physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE). The purpose of this thesis was to examine the effects of watching television or listening to music while exercising on post-exercise energy intake and expenditure in male adolescents. The study consisted of a randomized crossover design involving 24 male adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. The participants completed three experimental sessions that included walking/jogging on a treadmill at 60% of their heart rate reserve for 30 minutes while watching television, listening to music, or exercising with no other stimulus (control). Following the exercise sessions participants were given an ad libitum lunch and were asked to record their food intake for the remainder of the day. An Actical accelerometer was used to assess PAEE until bedtime. The primary outcome measure was post-exercise energy intake and energy expenditure. Results showed that exercising while watching television or listening to music did not significantly affect postexercise energy intake or energy expenditure. Walking/jogging on a treadmill was found to be more enjoyable while watching television than with no stimulus present (p=0.03). Ratings of perceived exertion were not significantly different between conditions. Overall, our results suggest that watching television or listening to music while exercising does not impact post-exercise energy intake or expenditure in male adolescents, which may have positive implications for adolescents who may need additional motivation to exercise.