Author(s): WILLIAMS, T., WHITMAN, K., WILLIAMS, C., COSTELLO, J., WARREN, J., MAYES, H., HUDSON, L., COX, J., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH, Country: UNITED KINGDOM, Abstract-ID: 2358

INTRODUCTION:
Social disconnection represents a growing public health concern, closely linked to diminished wellbeing and quality of life. Group-based exercise programmes are often promoted as contexts that enhance social connectedness and psychological health. While acute exercise is known to improve mood and cognitive functioning, it remains unclear whether exercise itself, independent of its social context, can directly promote prosocial behaviour. Guided by Broaden-and-Build Theory and psychophysiological models of mood regulation, this experiment examined whether a single session of moderate-intensity exercise influences observed prosocial behaviour and whether changes in mood mediate this relationship.
METHODS:
A total of 138 healthy adults (M = 70, age: 24 ± 5 years) were recruited and randomly allocated, by session, to an exercise or control condition with up to 10 other participants. In the exercise condition, participants completed 20 minutes of moderate intensity cycling whilst watching a neutral TV programme before completing a series of incentivised economic tasks (risk-self, risk other, give other, & give charity). In the control condition, participants were seated on a cycle ergometer but did not undertake any cycling exercise. Mood was assessed pre and post intervention using the Brunel Mood Scale. To standardise expectancy effects, both groups ended the session by completing a 5-minute bout of cycling exercise.
RESULTS:
Heart rate responses confirmed successful manipulation of exercise intensity, with the treatment group exhibiting significantly higher heart rates than controls during the 20 minute exercise period (127 vs 87 bpm, p < .001). Mood analyses showed that exercise produced greater increases in vigour, tension, and fatigue, and greater reductions in anger, confusion, and depression relative to the control condition, with effects most pronounced among individuals who rarely engage in intense exercise. Multiple mediation analyses demonstrated that exercise did not exert a direct effect on prosocial behaviour or risk-taking, but mood changes, particularly increased vigour, significantly predicted behavioural outcomes. Increased vigour was associated with higher charitable donations and greater risk-taking for oneself, with weaker evidence of increased giving to other participants. In contrast, increases in fatigue and tension were associated with reduced charitable giving. For risk-taking on behalf of others, the exercise condition was associated with lower amounts gambled, independent of mood. No significant effects of age, gender, BMI, or income were observed across models.
CONCLUSION:
Acute moderate exercise did not directly increase generosity or risk-taking; however, exercise-induced mood improvements, especially heightened vigour, were key drivers of prosocial and risk-related decisions. These findings indicate that the influence of exercise on social behaviour is indirect, emerging through affective responses rather than the physical activity itself. This supports theoretical models emphasising positive affect as a mechanism that broadens social engagement.
Practically, the results suggest that exercise-based social prescribing and community exercise initiatives may be most effective for individuals who experience positive emotional responses to physical activity. Enhancing or leveraging these affective benefits may provide a pathway for promoting generosity, social connection, and civic participation.