Department of Sport Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schwarzwaldstraße 175, Freiburg 79117, Germany; Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engler-Bunte-Ring 15, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany.
Department of Sport Science, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Schwarzwaldstraße 175, Freiburg 79117, Germany.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019 Aug;106:216-225. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.015. Epub 2019 Mar 25.
Previous research suggests beneficial effects of physical exercise on stress reactivity due to cross-stressor adaptions of physiological stress response systems. However, results remain inconclusive and it is unclear whether only regular engagement in exercise modulates these physiological adaptations or if acute bouts of exercise can elicit similar adaptations. Thus, the aim of the current study was to investigate and compare the effects of habitual and acute exercise on physiological stress responses.
84 male participants between 18 and 30 years (half of them were screened to be habitually high active or low active) were randomized into one of two groups: either an acute exercise intervention group (n = 42 with 50% being habitually high active) which engaged in 30 min of moderate-to-high intensity ergometer bicycling, or a control (placebo exercise) group which engaged in 30 min of light stretching (n = 42 with 50% being habitually high active). Following the intervention period, participants took part in a well validated psychosocial stress paradigm. Saliva samples were taken repeatedly to derive alpha-amylase and cortisol as stress-specific parameters. A multilevel growth curve approach was applied to analyse changes in the stress parameters over time.
Both, acute and habitual exercise have shown to be positively related to stress reactivity. In particular, a reduction in stress activation was found for both types of exercise, but only habitual engagement in exercise exhibited a beneficial effect on peak cortisol levels.
Taken together, people can profit from regular exercise (i.e. reduced activity of stress-response systems). However, even acute bouts of exercise preceding stress exposure showed beneficial effects on stress reactivity. This finding is particularly important as it may provide a (self-)regulatory mechanism for people facing conceivable acute stress situations.
先前的研究表明，由于生理应激反应系统的交叉应激适应，体育锻炼对应激反应有有益的影响。然而，结果仍不确定，不清楚是否只有定期进行锻炼才能调节这些生理适应，还是急性运动就能引起类似的适应。因此，本研究的目的是调查和比较习惯性和急性运动对生理应激反应的影响。
84 名年龄在 18 至 30 岁之间的男性参与者（其中一半被筛选为习惯性高活跃或低活跃）被随机分为两组：急性运动干预组（n=42，其中 50%为习惯性高活跃），进行 30 分钟的中高强度脚踏车运动；或对照组（安慰剂运动），进行 30 分钟的轻度伸展运动（n=42，其中 50%为习惯性高活跃）。干预期结束后，参与者参加了一个经过充分验证的心理社会应激范式。多次采集唾液样本以获得α-淀粉酶和皮质醇作为应激特异性参数。采用多层次增长曲线方法分析应激参数随时间的变化。
急性运动和习惯性运动都与应激反应呈正相关。特别是，两种类型的运动都发现应激激活减少，但只有习惯性运动对皮质醇峰值有有益的影响。
总的来说，人们可以从定期运动中受益（即应激反应系统的活动减少）。然而，即使在面临可想象的急性应激情况之前进行急性运动，也显示出对应激反应的有益影响。这一发现尤为重要，因为它可能为面临可想象的急性应激情况的人提供一种（自我）调节机制。
