Pre-Stress Exposure and Psychophysiological Responses During Cycling

Abstract

Successfully managing physical discomfort and stress during exercise is essential for fostering resilience and a sense of accomplishment. Previous research suggests that individuals vary in their ability to cope with exercise-induced stress, and repeated exposure to stressors may enhance stress management skills. This study aims to investigate how demographic, psychological, and physiological baseline characteristics influence psychological states during moderate- and high-intensity exercise. Thirty-one healthy participants completed two randomized conditions: a 6-min cycling task alone or the same task preceded by a cold-pressor test. Self-reported perceptual and affective responses and heart rate variability were measured throughout each condition. Random Forest and Gradient-Boosting Regressors predicted psychological states. Baseline attention emerged as a key determinant of attentional focus at both intensities, whereas higher BMI and age aligned with elevated stress and pain. A high-tolerance profile mitigated stress and arousal during the high-intensity phase of the exercise trial while boosting positive states such as affect and dominance. Preference played a dual role, intensifying both positive experiences (affect, dominance) and discomfort (stress, pain). Notably, during the high-intensity exercise phase, greater cold-water stress exposure was associated with higher arousal and affect, as well as lower perceived pain at the end of this phase. These findings highlight the complex interplay among psychological and physiological factors in shaping the exercise experience. While individual baseline characteristics influenced responses to exercise stress, exposure to a prior stressor modulated perceptual and affective states, particularly under high-intensity conditions. This study provides insight into the mechanisms underlying stress adaptation in physically demanding contexts.