Role of Fitness in Mediating Stress: A Correlational Exploration of Stress Reactivity

Abstract

Researchers have investigated the effect of exercise on reducing subjects' responsiveness to stress. Results from the initial studies were positive, yet these studies often did not use objective measures of fitness. This investigation applied more rigorous methodology than past experiments to assess the relationship between fitness and reactivity to stress. Maximal oxygen consumption was measured to indicate the fitness of recreational cyclists who were then exposed to three stressful situations (mental subtraction, speech preparation, and the cold pressor test). Heart rate, frontalis electromyographic (EMG) levels, and self-report of tension were monitored during the stress-inducing tasks. Physical fitness was significantly related to heart rate taken during the subtraction and cold pressor tasks, with EMG during subtraction, and with self-report during all three stressor tasks. These results further support the hypothesized association of physical fitness and reducing response to stress.