Examining the Role of Route Familiarity in Modulating the Effect of Prediction Error of Perceived Exertion on Running Pleasure

Pleasure is a central element of how physical exercise is experienced, and it depends on the perceived physical demands of the activity. Recent evidence suggests that the prediction error of perceived exertion (PEexert), defined as the discrepancy between anticipated and experienced effort, shapes pleasure experienced during exercise. Understanding how both individual and contextual factors influence this process is, therefore, critical. The present study examined whether repeated exposure to the same exercise route, thereby increasing route familiarity, reduces PEexert and modulates its association with running pleasure. Forty-seven participants completed four runs at a self-selected intensity along the same forest trail. Using this within-subjects design, familiarity was operationalized as repeated runs on the identical route. At each session, participants reported their prospective and retrospective ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) that created the PEexert index, confidence in prospective RPE, retrospective running pleasure, and pre- and post-run state-anxiety. Running speed and heart rate were measured. Tolerance to physical effort, physical activity level, and prior familiarity with the trail were also assessed. Linear mixed models showed that PEexert significantly decreased after the first run and stabilized in the next runs; indicating that repeated exposure to the same route reduced the discrepancy between anticipated and experienced exertion. In turn, more positive PEexert (runs feeling easier than expected) was associated with higher running pleasure and greater reductions in state-anxiety. Crucially, route familiarity reduced PEexert but did not change the strength of the PEexert-pleasure association. These findings suggest that growing familiarity with an exercise environment refines effort prediction without altering the core affective mechanism linking prediction error to the pleasure of running.