Physical activity as a protective factor against burnout in university students

Physical activity (PA) is a potential neuroprotective factor that may alleviate academic fatigue among university students through the modulation of stress hormones and mental protection. This study aims to analyze the recent evidence regarding the impact of physical activity on academic burnout among university students and to identify essential elements for effective interventions. Three reviewers performed a review according to PRISMA guidelines standards on three databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Pubmed) of research published during the last ten years. The results show that the mental health of students is greatly enhanced by regular physical activity, which brings about the urge of thinking about physical activity as a vital approach in the prevention of academic burnout. The findings highlight the significant role of physical activity in the prevention, study and reduction of academic burnout in university students. Regular physical exercise appears to have beneficial physiological and psychological effects such as improving cardiovascular function, increasing tissue oxygenation and stimulating neurochemical pathways associated with well-being including higher secretion of serotonin and endorphins.