Running Environments on Physiological Responses, Emotion, Motivation, and Attention

March 20, 2026 updated by: Zhu kun, Shanghai University of Sport

Effects of Different Running Environments on Individual Physiological Responses, Emotion Regulation, Exercise Motivation, and Attentional Control

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn how different running environments affect physiological responses, emotional regulation, exercise motivation, and attentional control in healthy college students. The main questions it aims to answer are:

How do different running environments (indoor treadmill, outdoor road, and outdoor grass) affect physiological stress and recovery, such as heart rate variability, blood pressure, cortisol, and blood lactate levels?

Are there differences in subjective emotional experiences, perceived recovery, and exercise motivation when running in natural versus artificial environments?

Does the running environment influence post-exercise cognitive performance, specifically inhibitory control and sustained attention?

Researchers will compare indoor treadmill running, outdoor road running, and outdoor grass running to see if natural environments provide greater benefits for stress relief, mood improvement, and cognitive enhancement.

Participants will:

Attend three separate 70-minute experimental sessions (one for each environment) with at least 48 hours between sessions.

Complete baseline physiological measurements (HRV, blood pressure, saliva, and blood samples), psychological questionnaires, and computerized cognitive tasks.

Complete a 30-minute moderate-intensity running session in the randomly assigned environment while wearing a heart rate monitor.

Repeat the physiological measurements, psychological questionnaires, and cognitive tasks immediately and 10 minutes after the running session.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study employs a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design to investigate the acute effects of three different running environments (indoor treadmill, outdoor road, and outdoor grass) on physiological, psychological, and cognitive outcomes. Each of the 30 healthy college student participants will complete three experimental sessions corresponding to the three environments. To eliminate carry-over effects and fatigue accumulation, a minimum washout period of 48 hours is strictly mandated between each experimental session.

The experimental procedures for each session are highly standardized, lasting approximately 70 minutes in total, and are structured into three main phases:

Pre-Exercise Baseline Assessment (approx. 20 minutes) Upon arrival, participants will undergo a brief health and safety screening. Researchers will then collect resting baseline physiological data, including Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Blood Pressure (BP), salivary cortisol, and blood lactate samples. Following physiological sampling, participants will complete subjective psychological scales (assessing mood state, exercise enjoyment, and perceived recovery) and perform three computerized cognitive tasks: the Stroop task (assessing attention control and inhibition), the Go/No-Go task (assessing response inhibition), and the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) (assessing sustained attention and reaction speed).

Running Intervention Phase (30 minutes) Participants will perform a 30-minute moderate-intensity running session in their randomly assigned environment for that session (indoor sports venue for treadmill, campus athletic track for outdoor road, or campus lawn area for grass). Exercise intensity is continuously monitored and controlled using heart rate devices by the research team to ensure safety and standardization across all conditions.

Post-Exercise Assessment Phase (approx. 20 minutes) Immediately following the 30-minute run, and again at 10 minutes post-exercise, physiological measurements (HRV, BP, salivary cortisol, and blood lactate) will be repeated to evaluate the recovery process. Participants will also complete post-exercise psychological scales and retake the three computerized cognitive tasks (Stroop, Go/No-Go, PVT).

This rigorous methodology ensures that any observed differences in physiological stress regulation, emotional state, and executive function can be reliably attributed to the modulatory effects of the specific running environment.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
    • Shanghai Municipality
      • Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China, 200438
        • Shanghai University of Sport
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Full-time college students aged 18 to 25 years old.
  • Healthy, with no history of major cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, or endocrine diseases.
  • No exercise contraindications or injuries, capable of safely completing moderate-intensity running (treadmill, outdoor road, and grass running).
  • No recent major life events affecting physiological or psychological status (e.g., severe insomnia, anxiety, depression, or extreme fatigue).
  • No use of medications or supplements affecting heart rate, blood pressure, mood, or attention within the past week.
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision, capable of completing computerized cognitive tasks (e.g., Stroop, Go/No-Go, PVT).
  • Able to comprehend and truthfully complete psychological scales.
  • Voluntary participation and signed informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or past diagnosis of severe cardiovascular disease (e.g., myocardial infarction, severe arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension).
  • Severe respiratory disease (e.g., severe asthma, COPD) or recent acute respiratory infection within the past month.
  • History of neurological disease or brain injury (e.g., epilepsy, recent concussion) affecting safety or cognitive task performance.
  • Endocrine or metabolic diseases (e.g., uncontrolled thyroid disease, severe diabetes) affecting cortisol or metabolic measurements.
  • Recent diagnosis or psychiatric treatment for severe psychological disorders within the past month.
  • Use of drugs or supplements affecting heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, or attention within the past 7 days.
  • Currently pregnant or lactating.
  • Acute illness within the past 48 hours (e.g., fever, acute gastroenteritis).
  • Severe bleeding tendencies, blood disorders, or contraindications to blood/saliva sampling.
  • Recent substance use interference, such as heavy drinking or substance dependence within the past 2 weeks.
  • Inability to meet pre-experiment control requirements (e.g., avoiding caffeine, tobacco, or heavy exercise).
  • Inability to complete computerized tasks due to poor vision or lack of familiarity with keyboard/mouse.
  • Acute or chronic injuries hindering the safe completion of running intervention (e.g., recent lower limb injury).
  • Participation in similar HIT or environmental intervention studies within the past 3 months.
  • Unable to understand research procedures or unwilling to sign the informed consent form.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Indoor Treadmill Running
Participants will complete a 20-minute moderate-intensity running session on a treadmill in a controlled indoor sports venue.
Other: Indoor Treadmill Running Session
20 minutes of moderate-intensity running on an indoor treadmill. Exercise intensity is monitored and controlled using heart rate devices to maintain a consistent moderate level.
Experimental: Outdoor Road Running
Participants will complete a 20-minute moderate-intensity running session on a standard outdoor campus athletic track.
Other: Outdoor Road Running Session
20 minutes of moderate-intensity running on an outdoor athletic track (paved surface).
Experimental: Outdoor Grass Running
Participants will complete a 20-minute moderate-intensity running session on a natural campus lawn/grass area.
Other: Outdoor Grass Running Session
20 minutes of moderate-intensity running on a natural grass surface.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Salivary Cortisol Concentration
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Salivary cortisol concentration will be measured to evaluate the acute endocrine and physiological stress response to different running environments.
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise), immediately post-exercise, 5 minutes post-exercise, 10 minutes post-exercise, and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) parameters, specifically RMSSD and SDNN, will be recorded to assess the acute autonomic nervous system responses and recovery. Both parameters share the exact same unit of measure, which is milliseconds (ms).
Baseline (pre-exercise), immediately post-exercise, 5 minutes post-exercise, 10 minutes post-exercise, and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Change in Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise), immediately post-exercise, 5 minutes post-exercise, 10 minutes post-exercise, and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Blood pressure will be measured in mmHg to evaluate the cardiovascular stress response across different running environments.
Baseline (pre-exercise), immediately post-exercise, 5 minutes post-exercise, 10 minutes post-exercise, and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Change in Blood Lactate Concentration
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and immediately post-exercise.
Blood lactate will be measured using a portable analyzer to assess metabolic exertion.
Baseline (pre-exercise) and immediately post-exercise.
Inhibitory Control Assessed by the Stroop Task: Reaction Time
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Stroop task measures inhibitory control and cognitive interference. This measure reports the reaction time in milliseconds (ms). Lower reaction times indicate better inhibitory control.
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Response Inhibition Assessed by the Go/No-Go Task: Reaction Time
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Go/No-Go task is used to evaluate response inhibition and impulse control. This measure reports the reaction time in milliseconds (ms) for "Go" trials. Lower values indicate faster processing speed.
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Change in Heart Rate
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise), immediately post-exercise, 5 minutes post-exercise, 10 minutes post-exercise, and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Heart rate will be monitored and recorded in beats per minute (bpm) to assess cardiovascular exertion during the intervention and the subsequent recovery rate.
Baseline (pre-exercise), immediately post-exercise, 5 minutes post-exercise, 10 minutes post-exercise, and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Mood State Assessed by Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) consists of two subscales to measure both positive affect (10 items) and negative affect (10 items) reflecting the past week. Items are rated on a 5-point scale. For the Positive Affect subscale, the minimum possible score is 10 and the maximum possible score is 50, with higher scores indicating higher levels of positive emotions (a better outcome). For the Negative Affect subscale, the minimum possible score is 10 and the maximum possible score is 50, with higher scores indicating higher levels of negative emotions (a worse outcome).
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Change in Exercise Enjoyment Assessed by Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) is used to evaluate the participant's subjective enjoyment of the exercise session. The scale consists of 18 items, each rated on a 7-point scale (1=completely disagree, 7=completely agree). The total score ranges from 18 to 126. Higher scores indicate a greater level of exercise enjoyment (a better outcome).
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Habitual Sport Motivation Assessed by Sport Motivation Scale (SMS)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) is used to evaluate habitual, long-term motivation toward sports (reflecting on the past year). It consists of 28 items rated on a 7-point scale (1=does not correspond at all, 7=corresponds exactly). The total global score ranges from 28 to 196. Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-determined motivation toward sports (a better outcome).
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Attentional Control Assessed by Attentional Control Scale (ACS)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
he Attentional Control Scale (ACS) is used to assess the participant's general trait ability to control attention and focus. The scale consists of 20 items rated on a 4-point scale (1=almost never, 4=always). The total score ranges from 20 to 80. Higher scores indicate better attentional control capabilities (a better outcome).
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Perceived Recovery Assessed by Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS) evaluates physical and psychological restoration through 6 items rated on a 5-point scale. The minimum possible total score is 6 and the maximum possible total score is 30. Higher scores indicate a higher level of perceived physical and psychological recovery (a better outcome).
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Inhibitory Control Assessed by the Stroop Task: Accuracy
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Stroop task measures inhibitory control and cognitive interference. This measure reports the accuracy as a percentage (%). Higher percentages indicate better cognitive performance and fewer errors.
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
Response Inhibition Assessed by the Go/No-Go Task: Accuracy
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.
The Go/No-Go task is used to evaluate response inhibition and impulse control. This measure reports the accuracy of responses as a percentage (%). Higher percentages indicate better impulse control and fewer false alarms.
Baseline (pre-exercise) and 20 minutes post-exercise.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Shanghai University of Sport

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Kun Zhu, Ph.D., Shanghai University of Sport
  • Study Chair: Jiwei Chen, Ph.D., Shanghai University of Sport
  • Study Director: Wenqian Du, Shanghai University of Sport

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

April 10, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 10, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 20, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 102772025RT192

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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