Physical activity levels decline from adolescence to adulthood, but participation in a variety of sports during childhood and adolescence (i.e., sampling) may increase physical activity behaviour during adulthood. We examined the association between sampling sports during adolescence and moderate-vigorous exercise behaviour in adulthood, and we assessed whether this relationship is mediated by perceived variety in exercise. Study 1- prospective longitudinal; Study 2- cross-sectional. Our main outcome was exercise behaviour. In study 1 (n = 775), sampling more sports during adolescence ( = .25, < .01; 95% CI [.12, .39]) predicted increased frequency of exercise behaviour in young adulthood. In study 2 (n = 108), sampling more sports in adolescence ( = .08, = .03; 95% CI [.03, .17]) was indirectly associated with exercise behaviour in adulthood through perceived variety in exercise. These findings add to the evidence that sampling sports during adolescence is positively associated with moderate-vigorous exercise during adulthood, and the experience of variety may, in part, explain this relationship. This research generates new hypotheses regarding a potential psycho-social mediator (perceived variety in exercise) of the sampling-exercise behaviour relationship.
