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August 23, 2016Sports Medicine - OpenOpen Access

Higher aerobic fitness significantly predicted a lower overall heart rate response (area under the curve) and lower salivary alpha amylase levels following acute psychosocial stress.

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Why the study?

Does a higher physical fitness level reduce autonomic nervous system responses to acute psychosocial stress in male recruits?

Population

302 male recruits during their first week of Swiss Army basic training

Comparison

High physical fitness level vs Lower physical fitness level

Design

Cross-sectional

Key result

Higher aerobic fitness significantly predicted a lower overall heart rate response (area under the curve) and lower salivary alpha amylase levels following acute psychosocial stress.

Authors

TWThomas WyssMBMaria BoeschLRLilian Roos

Discussion

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Member takes

Overview

Fitness may buffer autonomic reactivity to acute stress in recruits; leaves open whether training confers causal protection.

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=219)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

Does a higher physical fitness level reduce autonomic nervous system responses to acute psychosocial stress in male recruits?

P
Population
219 healthy young male military recruits (mean age 20.2 years) who underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups to assess autonomic nervous system responses to acute psychosocial stress.
E
Exposure
High physical fitness level (aerobic endurance capacity)
C
Comparator
Lower physical fitness level
O
Outcome
Autonomic nervous system responses (heart rate and salivary alpha amylase) to acute psychosocial stress (Trier Social Stress Test for Groups)surrogate

Main Result

Effect estimate: B = -0.447 (95% CI -0.618 to -0.276)

p-value: p=<0.001

Good physical fitness, particularly aerobic endurance, is associated with attenuated autonomic nervous system responses to acute psychosocial stress.

Limitations

  • Short adaptation period to the laboratory setting before baseline measurements, meaning some subjects may not have reached a calm resting state.
  • Salivary samples were only taken twice, potentially missing the peak salivary alpha amylase response.
  • Order of active participation during the mock job interview was not recorded.
  • Study population restricted to young, healthy men, limiting generalizability to women, older men, and clinical populations.

Cite This Study

Wyss et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=219). Aerobic fitness level vs. Low aerobic fitness level was evaluated on Heart rate response (area under the curve, HR-AUCg) during acute psychosocial stress (B = -0.447, 95% CI -0.618 to -0.276, p=<0.001). Higher aerobic fitness significantly predicted a lower overall heart rate response (area under the curve) and lower salivary alpha amylase levels following acute psychosocial stress.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a20a204e15907458191ce91https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-016-0057-9
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Phasic Cardiac Reactivity to Psychological Stress as a Function of Aerobic Fitness Level1986 · 43 citations
  2. 2Does Aerobic Capacity Protect Against Stress? Insights From Two Stress‐Induction Paradigms2026
  3. 3Association Between Physical Fitness, Parasympathetic Control, and Proinflammatory Responses to Mental Stress2007 · 135 citations
  4. 4Existing and Training Induced Differences in Aerobic Fitness: Their Relationship to Physiological Response Patterns During Different Types of Stress1990 · 110 citations
  5. 5The acute stress response to two different laboratory stress tests in physically active individuals – A pilot study2024