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Physical Activity and Psychosocial Stress Response

Max Schadt 12/07/09. Physical Activity and Psychosocial Stress Response. Introduction. Psychosocial: the interaction between psychological and social factors (TSST for example) Does physical activity (chronic or acute ) modulate physiological responses to psychosocial stressors?

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Physical Activity and Psychosocial Stress Response

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  1. Max Schadt 12/07/09 Physical Activity and Psychosocial Stress Response

  2. Introduction • Psychosocial: the interaction between psychological and social factors (TSST for example) • Does physical activity (chronic or acute) modulate physiological responses to psychosocial stressors? • Sympathetic Nervous System and HPA-axis

  3. Why is this important? • Hypertension, chronic stress, and hyper-reactive stress responses can lead to the development of a multitude of cardiovascular diseases. • If physical exercise has assuaging effects on BP, HPA-axis response, or SNS response, it would be greatly beneficial in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

  4. Blood Pressure • Meta-analysis of 15 studies, 10 out of 15 demonstrated a significant decrease in blood pressure response to a psychosocial stressor after acute aerobic exercise • Systolic BP -3.7 mmHg (millimeter of mercury) ± S.D. • Diastolic BP -3.0 mmHg ± S.D. • Minimum effective aerobic exercise dose 30 min at 50% Vo2 max • Larger exercise bouts mediates greater effects

  5. Primary Study • Study examined the effects of fitness levels on HPA-axis and SNS stress reactions • Cortisol levels and heart rate were measured before, during, and after the TSST • Three subject groups based on fitness levels: elite sportsmen, amateur sportsmen, and untrained men

  6. HPA-axis • Baseline cortisol levels and subsequent measurements • Statistically significant differences between elite group and both other groups

  7. Heart Rate (cardiovascular response) • Heart rate measurement starting one minute prior to TSST • Considerable difference between sportsmen and untrained men • With S.E.M. sportsmen groups are not significantly different

  8. Results • Elite sportsmen showed lower HPA-axis and SNS reactions than untrained men • Results suggest physical fitness levels correlate with stress reactions • Also, SNS may be more sensitive to the effects of physical exercise than the HPA-axis because amateur sportsmen only showed reduced response in the SNS

  9. Alternate Study • Similarly designed study was completed by five of the same researchers two years earlier • Results were similar • In latest study, the researchers specifically stated that baseline cortisol and heart rate levels were taken before participants were told the details of the stress test • This statement is not included in previous study, suggesting that the same procedure was not followed

  10. Cortisol Comparison • Baseline cortisol levels significantly differ between trained men groups (p = 0.004) and untrained men group (p = 0.028)

  11. Heart Rate Comparison • Baseline heart rate for the trained sportsmen group with no knowledge of TSST was significantly lower than the trained group that presumably knew of the stressor before basal testing (p = 0.02)

  12. Conclusion • High levels of physical training may correlate with decreased heart rate reactivity when facing an unknown psychosocial stressor • High training was associated with lower cortisol and heart rate responses than healthy, untrained controls • Intermediate fitness was correlated with reduced heart rate compared to controls, but similar cortisol levels

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