Influence of Regular Physical Activity and Fitness on Stress Reactivity as Measured with the Trier Social Stress Test Protocol: A Systematic Review

Mücke, Manuel; Ludyga, Sebastian; Colledge, Flora; Gerber, Markus

doi:10.1007/s40279-018-0979-0

Cited by 131 publications

(134 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…However, a physiological adaptation (i.e., hormonal regulation) of the body during physical exercise can be applied also to psychosocial stressors, in turn improving mental health [72]. Currently, there is strong evidence of the benefits of physical activity for children's and adolescents' mental health, mainly in depression, anxiety, self-esteem and cognitive functioning [32].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of An Acute Physical Activity Break on Test Anxiety and Math Test Performance

Mavilidi

Ouwehand

Riley

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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(1) Background: Test anxiety has been found to negatively affect students’ mental health and academic performance. A primary explanation for this is that anxiety-related thoughts occupy working memory resources during testing that cannot be used for test-related processes (such as information retrieval and problem-solving). The present intervention study investigated whether physical activity could decrease anxiety levels and improve maths test performance in sixth-grade children. (2) Methods: Sixty-eight children of 11–12 years from two primary schools in New South Wales, Australia were categorised as low or high anxious from their scores on a trait-anxiety questionnaire. After this assessment, they were randomly assigned to the activity break condition, in which they had to do several physical activities of moderate intensity (e.g., star jumps) for 10 min, or the control condition, in which they played a vocabulary game for 10 min. The outcome measures were children’s anxiety levels at the beginning, during, and at the end of the test, invested mental effort, perceived task difficulty and maths test performance. (3) Results: Results showed that regardless of the condition, low anxious students performed better on the maths test than high anxious children. No differences were found for any of the variables between the activity break condition and the control condition. (4) Conclusions: Although test anxiety was not reduced as expected, this study showed that short physical activity breaks can be used before examinations without impeding academic performance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of An Acute Physical Activity Break on Test Anxiety and Math Test Performance

Mavilidi

Ouwehand

Riley

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Engaging in physical exercise promotes health and wellbeing [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Of particular importance, participating in higher levels of physical activity has been linked to improved cognitive function and a lower likelihood of developing dementia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Physical exercise has been shown to be a critical component of health and well-being. There is evidence that increased physical activity may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and dementia, improve mood and sleep, and decrease the likelihood of falls in older adults [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Epidemiological studies suggest that physical inactivity substantially increases the risk of developing dementia [9,10] and that individuals who engage in higher levels of physical activity are less likely to become demented [11,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of an at‐home, web‐based, interactive exercise program for older adults

Feng

Ryan

Kidane³

et al. 2019

A&D Transl Res & Clin Interv

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IntroductionIncreased physical exercise is linked to enhanced brain health and reduced dementia risk. Exercise intervention studies usually are conducted at facilities in groups under trainer supervision. To improve scalability, accessibility, and engagement, programs may need to be structured such that individuals can execute and adjust routines in their own homes.MethodsOne hundred eighty-three healthy older adults from two sites (the United States and Sweden) were screened. One hundred fifty-six subjects (mean age 73.2), randomly assigned to one of four interventions (PACE-Yourself physical exercise program, mindfulness meditation, or Cogmed® adaptive or nonadaptive computerized working memory training) began the study. All interventions were structurally similar: occurring in subjects' homes using interactive, web-based software, over five weeks, ∼175 minutes/week. In the PACE-Yourself program, video segments presented aerobic exercises at different pace and intensity (P&I). The program paused frequently, allowing subjects to indicate whether P&I was “too easy,” “too hard,” or “somewhat hard.” P&I of the subsequent exercise set was adjusted, allowing subjects to exercise at a perceived exertion level of “somewhat hard.” Program completion was defined as finishing ≥60% of sessions.ResultsA high percentage of participants in all groups completed the program, although the number (86%) was slightly lower in the PACE-Yourself group than the other three. Excluding dropouts, the PACE-Yourself group had a lower adherence rate of 93%, compared with the other three (∼98%). Over the five weeks, PACE-Yourself participants increased exercising at the highest intensity level, consistent with augmented aerobic activity over time. The number of exercise sessions completed predicted the postintervention versus preintervention increase in self-reported level of physical activity.DiscussionThis study supports the feasibility of a home-based, subject-controlled, exercise program in which P&I is regulated via real-time participant feedback, which may promote self-efficacy. Further study is needed to determine if similar results are found over longer periods and in more diverse populations.

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“…The mechanisms behind such phenomena are varied including plausible neurobiological, psychosocial, and behavioral mechanisms with the most popular theories being linked to the propagation of neurotransmitters (i.e., dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, GABA) (Maddock et al, 2016) and neurotrophins (BDNF) (Schuch et al, 2016), as well as an increase in neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and angiogenesis (Saraulli et al, 2017). There is also a body of work to suggest that physical activity can assist with reducing stress reactivity (Mücke et al, 2018) and enhancing resiliency (Childs and de Wit, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical Activity as a Coping Strategy for Mental Health Due to the COVID-19 Virus: A Potential Disconnect Among Canadian Adults?

et al. 2020

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COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting social disruption has left many to struggle with changes to routines and feelings of uncertainty as the impact of the virus continues to unfold. Evidence suggests an increase in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress as a result. Given the well-documented association between physical activity and mental health-be it preventing the onset of depressive or anxious symptoms to minimizing the prognosis of certain conditions-we posit more emphasis be placed in health communications on physical activity as a coping strategy for Canadians. As the ramifications of COVID-19 continue, coupled with the concern of a pending second wave, identifying how Canadians are managing stress and mental health can inform the development of interventions aimed at mitigating the negative impact of COVID-19 on adults' overall wellness. Though social interactions and activities might look different right now, Canadians should be actively looking for safe ways to engage in health promoting and socializing behaviors-physical activity is one such behavior. Herein we explore how a representative sample of Canadian adults are coping with increased stress and mental health issues as a result of COVID-19 and identify a potential disconnect between considering physical activity as a strategy to support social connection and stress management and how Canadians are coping with the pandemic. Given the protective role of physical activity in supporting mental health, our perspective is that health communication efforts should focus on the mental health benefits of physical activity particularly during these uncertain times.

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Influence of Regular Physical Activity and Fitness on Stress Reactivity as Measured with the Trier Social Stress Test Protocol: A Systematic Review

Abstract: About half of the studies suggested that higher PA/fitness levels were associated with an attenuated response to psychosocial stress. Currently, most evidence is based on cross-sectional analyses. Therefore, a great need for further studies with longitudinal or experimental designs exists.

Cited by 131 publications

References 81 publications

Effects of An Acute Physical Activity Break on Test Anxiety and Math Test Performance

Effects of An Acute Physical Activity Break on Test Anxiety and Math Test Performance

Feasibility of an at‐home, web‐based, interactive exercise program for older adults

Physical Activity as a Coping Strategy for Mental Health Due to the COVID-19 Virus: A Potential Disconnect Among Canadian Adults?

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