Department of Kinesiology

Panteleimon Ekkekakis, Ph.D., FACSM
Associate Professor

	Office: 235 Forker Building
	Phone: 515-294-8766
	Fax: 515-294-8740
	Email: ekkekaki@iastate.edu
	Other Links: Vita, Website

Research Interests

I investigate the reasons behind what is presently considered the most serious public health challenge in industrialized countries, namely the problem of physical inactivity. In particular, my research examines the patterns of affective responses (such as pleasure versus displeasure) to exercise performed at different levels of intensity and the cognitive and physiological factors that influence these patterns. The rationale for this focus is based on the so-called hedonic theory of motivation, according to which people generally tend to do what makes them feel better and tend to avoid what makes them feel worse.

My research was the first to demonstrate a reliable dose-response relationship between the intensity of physical activity and affective responses. Specifically, along with my research collaborators and students, we have demonstrated that the pattern of affective responses varies systematically across three domains of exercise intensity. Below the ventilatory threshold (a shift in respiratory gas exchange, manifesting as a breakpoint in the relationship between oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide excretion), affective responses tend to be positive in most participants. Between the ventilatory threshold and the maximal lactate steady state (the highest intensity of exercise that permits a stabilization of blood lactate concentration over time), there is considerable interindividual variability in affective responses, with some individuals reporting positive and other reporting negative changes. Much of this variation can be attributed to personality dispositions and cognitive factors (such as self-efficacy for vigorous exercise). Finally, beyond the maximal lactate steady state and until the point of maximal oxygen uptake, affective responses tend to be almost uniformly negative and show a strong relationship with physiological factors (such as respiratory variables and blood lactate concentration).

My research publications span the areas of psychometrics, personality and individual differences, affective psychology, psychophysiology, health psychology, behavioral and preventive medicine, applied physiology, and exercise science. I have co-edited the volume Psychobiology of Physical Activity (Human Kinetics, 2006), the first of its kind in the international literature.

Teaching

I teach "Exercise Psychology" to undergraduate students and "Advanced Topics in Exercise and Sport Psychology" to graduate students at Iowa State University.

Service/Outreach/Professional Activity

I am an associate editor for the journal Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, a member of the editorial board of the journals Psychology of Sport and Exercise and Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, and a regular reviewer for approximately 25 journals from the fields of exercise and sport psychology, exercise science, health psychology, health education, and psychobiology. I am a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a member of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA).