Physiological responses to acute physical and psychosocial stress- relation to aerobic capacity and exercise training.
Abstract
Exercise training is an effective method to promote health and to prevent
development of disease. Both physical and mental health have been shown to
benefit from exercise training. It has also been speculated that physical exercise
might affect responses to acute psychosocial stress. In an acute stress situation,
several physiological systems respond to ensure survival and it is suggested that
exercise training may influence these stress systems.
The main purpose of this thesis was to study physiological responses to
acute physical and psychosocial stress and possible associations with aerobic
capacity and exercise training. The thesis is based on four papers analysing data
from a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The participants were healthy
individuals who reported themselves as untrained at screening. The RCT
included testing of acute physical and psychosocial stress. Before and after the
tests, hormonal and autonomic responses were assessed. After initial testing,
the participants were randomized to either an intervention- or a control group.
The intervention consisted of regular aerobic exercise training conducted for
six months. At follow-up, the same tests were repeated for both groups.
The main findings were that most participants showed an increase in the
studied variables in response to acute stress. Aerobic capacity did not seem to
have any relation to hormonal or blood pressure responses to acute
psychosocial stress. Neither did the subjective perception of stress at the
psychosocial stress test correlate with the actual physiological response. Due to
methodological issues, it was not possible to evaluate the effects of exercise
training.
Thus, in healthy individuals, the stress systems seem to respond adequately
to acute stress, irrespective of level of aerobic capacity or type of stressor.
Parts of work
Arvidson E, Sjörs A, Gullstrand L, Börjesson M, Jonsdottir IH.
Exercise training and physiological responses to acute stress: study
protocol and methodological considerations from a randomized
controlled study. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2018;4:
e000393. ::doi::10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000393 Arvidson E, Sjörs A, Gullstrand L, Börjesson M, Jonsdottir IH.
Physiological responses to acute physical and psychosocial stress in
healthy women and men (In manuscript). Arvidson E, Sjörs A, Gullstrand L, Börjesson M, Jonsdottir IH. The
effects of exercise training on HPA-axis reactivity and autonomic
response to acute stress – a randomized controlled study. (Submitted) Arvidson E, Börjesson M, Jonsdottir IH, Lennartsson A. DHEA and
DHEA-S response to acute psychosocial stress and the relation to
aerobic capacity in healthy women and men (In manuscript).
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
University
Göteborgs universitet. Utbildningsvetenskapliga fakulteten
University of Gothenburg. Faculty of Education
Institution
Department of Food and Nutrition, and Sport Science ; Institutionen för kost- och idrottsvetenskap
Disputation
Torsdagen den 2 maj 2019, kl. 13.00, sal BE 036, Västra Hamngatan 25
Date of defence
2019-05-02
elin.arvidson@outlook.com
Date
2019-04-09Author
Arvidson, Elin
Keywords
Acute stress
exercise training
aerobic capacity
physiological responses
Publication type
Doctoral thesis
ISBN
978-91-7346-514-4 (print)
978-91-7346-515-1 (pdf)
ISSN
0436-1121
Series/Report no.
Gothenburg Studies in Educational Sciences
435
Language
eng