Responses to underwater exercise in scuba divers differing in trait anxiety.

Fifteen male scuba divers performed underwater leg ergometer exercise in an effort to determine if trait anxiety was related to their physiologic or perceptual responses. Psychologic assessment completed before exercise testing revealed that the sample exhibited positive psychologic profiles. However, five individuals possessed trait anxiety scores above the published mean (M = 46.0). Their responses to exercise were compared with the five participants with the lowest trait anxiety scores (M = 30.6). The exercise task was 20 min of steady-state underwater leg ergometer exercise. Oxygen consumption, CO2 production, minute ventilatory volume, breathing frequency, and heart rate were assessed at rest and every 5 min during exercise. Perception of effort and breathing discomfort were also determined during exercise. Each of the physiologic and perceptual variables increased (P < 0.05) with exercise. The only group main effect (P < 0.05) occurred for respiration rate. The high trait anxious group took 7.4 fewer breaths per minute (13.1 vs. 20.5) compared with low trait anxious group. These results have implications regarding the use of intervention strategies in persons at potential risk of experiencing panic while scuba diving.