Title | Physical fitness and prior physical activity are both associated with less cortisol secretion during psychosocial stress |
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Type | Journal article |
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Authors | Wood, C., Clow, A., Hucklebridge, F., Law, R. and Smyth, N. |
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Abstract | Background: Evidence linking fitness and decreased psychosocial stress comes from studies of athletes and typically relies upon self-report measures. Furthermore there is little evidence regarding the impact of physical activity (PA) prior to a stressor. The aims of this study were to determine whether fitness and prior PA influence cortisol concentrations during psychosocial stress. Methods: Seventy-five non-athletic participants took part in a submaximal walk prior to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G). During the walk fitness was assessed using heart rate (HR). A further 89 participants took part in the TSST-G without the walk. Stress responsiveness was assessed using salivary cortisol collected at 10-minute intervals on seven occasions. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that average walking HR accounted for 9% of the variance in cortisol secretion (P<0.05); where a higher HR was associated with higher cortisol secretion. Between-subjects ANCOVA revealed that the walking group had a significantly lower cortisol secretion than the non-walking group (P<0.01). Conclusions: These findings indicate that fitter individuals have reduced cortisol secretion during psychosocial stress. They also indicate that prior PA can reduce cortisol concentrations during psychosocial stress and are suggestive of a role of PA in reducing the impact of stress on health. |
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Journal | Anxiety, Stress and Coping |
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Journal citation | 31 (2), pp. 135-145 |
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ISSN | 1061-5806 |
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Year | 2018 |
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Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
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Accepted author manuscript | |
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2017.1390083 |
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Publication dates |
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Published online | 16 Oct 2017 |
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Published | 16 Oct 2017 |
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Published in print | 2018 |
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