Augmented-reality-based multi-person exercise has more beneficial effects on mood state and oxytocin secretion than standard solitary exercise

BACKGROUND

Exercise has positive effects on psychological well-being, with team sports often associated with superior mental health compared to individual sports. Augmented reality (AR) technology has the potential to convert solitary exercise into multi-person exercise. Given the role of oxytocin in mediating the psychological benefits of exercise and sports, this study aimed to investigate the impact of AR-based multi-person exercise on mood and salivary oxytocin levels.

METHODS

Fourteen participants underwent three distinct regimens: non-exercise (Rest), standard solitary cycling exercise (Ex), and AR-based multi-person cycling exercise (Ex+AR). In both Ex and Ex+AR conditions, participants engaged in cycling at a self-regulated pace to maintain a Rating of Perceived Exertion of 10. In the Ex+AR condition, participants' avatars were projected onto a tablet screen, allowing them to cycle alongside ten other virtual avatars in an AR environment. Mood states and saliva samples were collected before and immediately after each 10-minute regimen. Subsequently, salivary oxytocin levels were measured.

RESULTS

Notably, only the Ex+AR condition significantly improved mood states associated with depression-dejection and exhibited a non-significant trend toward suppressing anger-hostility in participants. Moreover, the Ex+AR condition led to a significant elevation in salivary oxytocin levels, while the Ex condition showed a non-significant trend toward an increase. However, changes in salivary oxytocin did not show a significant correlation with changes in mood states.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that Ex+AR enhances mood states and promotes oxytocin release. AR-based multi-person exercise may offer greater psychological benefits compared to standard solitary exercise, although the relationship between oxytocin and mood changes remains inconclusive.

The influence of aggressive exercise on responses to self-perceived and others' pain

Previous studies have reported relationships between exercise and pain. However, little is known about how aggressive exercise modulates individuals' responses to their own and others' pain. This present study addresses this question by conducting 2 studies employing event-related potential (ERP). Study 1 included 38 participants whose self-perceived pain was assessed after intervention with aggressive or nonaggressive exercises. Study 2 recruited 36 participants whose responses to others' pain were assessed after intervention with aggressive or nonaggressive exercise. Study 1's results showed that P2 amplitudes were smaller, reaction times were longer, and participants' judgments were less accurate in response to self-perceived pain stimuli, especially to high-pain stimuli, after intervention with aggressive exercise compared to nonaggressive exercise. Results of study 2 showed that both P3 and LPP amplitudes to others' pain were larger after intervention with aggressive exercise than with nonaggressive exercise. These results suggest that aggressive exercise decreases individuals' self-perceived pain and increases their empathic responses to others' pain.

Physical activity associates empathy in Japanese young adults with specific gene variations of oxytocin receptor and vasopressin V1B receptor

BACKGROUND

Empathy, consisting of cognitive empathy and affective empathy, is essential for creating relationships with others. Since the genetic polymorphism of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and arginine-vasopressin V1B receptor (AVPR1B) relate to prosocial behavior and empathy, it would need to innovate strategies for treating human empathy by considering individual genetic variations. Physical activity is expected as a possible strategy; here, we investigated the influences of genetic polymorphisms in OXTR SNP rs53576 and AVPR1B SNP rs28373064, on the relationships of self-reported empathy with physical activity.

METHODS

The saliva is collected from a hundred Japanese college students for determining the individual polymorphism of OXTR SNP rs53576 (AA, AG, or GG genotype) and AVPR1B SNP rs28373064 (TT, TC, or CC genotype). In addition, the participants' self-reported cognitive and affective empathy, amounts of physical activity, and sitting time were evaluated with questionaries.

RESULTS

The participants with OXTR SNP rs53576 GG genotype showed a significant negative correlation between sitting time and cognitive empathy adjusted by age, gender, and sports experience. Further, there was a trend to correlate between physical activity amounts and cognitive empathy in the participants carrying the G variant in OXTR SNP rs53576 (AG or GG). As for AVPR1B SNP rs28373064, the persons with TT genotype exhibited a negative correlation trend between sitting time and cognitive empathy.

CONCLUSIONS

There are possible correlations between the self-reported cognitive empathy and physical activity amounts in the persons carrying the G variant of OXTR rs53576 or with the TT genotype for AVPR1B SNP rs28373064.

Four weeks of light-intensity exercise enhances empathic behavior in mice: The possible involvement of BDNF

Empathy is one of the essential functions of mammals for maintaining relationships with others. Physical activity contributes to enhancing empathic attitude and behavior; however, it is remained to cover the effective intensity of exercise on mammal empathy. Here, we tested the effects of light-intensity exercise, which has beneficial effects on expressing neurotrophic factors in the brain, on empathic behavior. Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to forced wheel running at light-intensity (7.0 m/min, 30 min/day, 5 days/week) for 4 weeks. Then, all mice were subjected to helping behavior to evaluate their empathic behavior. The insular cortex was collected for analyzing the expressions of mRNA and miRNA. Four weeks of light-intensity exercise enhanced helping behavior. Exercised mice exhibited higher Bdnf gene expressions in the insular cortex than sedentary mice. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between mRNA levels of Fndc5 and Bdnf in the insular cortex. Based on miRNA sequencing, 26 out of 51 miRNAs were significantly upregulated, and 25 out of 51 miRNAs were significantly downregulated in the insular cortex of mice with exercise. There were significant correlations between 11 out of 51 miRNAs and helping behavior; miR-486a-3p, which relates to FNDC5 expression, was contained. These results imply that miR-486a-3p/Fndc5/Bdnf pathway in the insular cortex would be a possible target for treating empathy.

The Influences of Changes in Physical Activity Levels With Easing Restriction of Access to the University Campus on Empathy and Social Supports in College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

College students in Japan are restricted from accessing the campus associated with promoting online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic; it would lead to less physical activity and poor relationships with others. Here, we measured 887 college students' amounts of physical activity, sitting time, self-reported cognitive and affective empathy, and perceived social support before and after easing campus entrance restrictions. The amounts of total activity, vigorous-intensity, and moderate-intensity activity in college students, both male and female, increased after easing restrictions of accessing the campus compared during restrictions. The amounts of walking activity were unchanged. Self-reported cognitive empathy scores significantly increased in female students after mitigating restrictions, but not in males. Furthermore, the total of physical activity's change amounts was positively correlated with the changes in the scores of affective empathy and perceived family support. In addition, the changes in the score of affective empathy were positively correlated with perceived social help from family, friends, and close people. The current findings imply that increasing physical activity levels after easing restriction of access to the campus would lead to a better quality of life in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.