A meta-analytic review of aerobic fitness and reactivity to psychosocial stressors
Abstract
The effects of aerobic fitness on resistance to psychosocial stressors are reviewed. To unravel the inconsistent results in studies examining the relationship between aerobic fitness and psychosocial stress response, a meta-analysis was conducted. The results of 34 studies having 92 effect size estimates from 1,449 subjects were statistically combined to compare psychosocial stressor tasks and arousal measures. The average effect size estimate of 0.48 was significantly different from zero (P less than 0.01), indicating that aerobically fit subjects had a reduced psychosocial stress response compared to either control group or baseline values. The test for the homogeneity assumption showed that it could not be rejected, and thus none of the proposed moderating variables altered the aerobic fitness-psychosocial reactivity relationship. Various underlying mechanisms which may contribute to this response are discussed, and future research directions are presented.
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BDNF may reduce stress reactivity, leading to a reduction in allostatic load.
“As BDNF is also a powerful modulator of several neurotransmitters, this may reduce stress reactivity, thus leading to a reduction in allostatic load (Crews and Landers 1987).”
From A call to action: Exercise as treatment for patients with mental illness (2015) · cites this paper as Crews and Landers 1987
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“As BDNF is also a powerful modulator of several neurotransmitters, this may reduce stress reactivity, thus leading to a reduction in allostatic load (Crews and Landers 1987).”
Background
- Authors
- CREWS, D. J., & LANDERS, D. M.
- Affiliations
- Arizona State University (US)
- Venue
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
- Published
- 1987-10
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- Supplement
- Pages
- S121???S129
- ISSN
- 0195-9131 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2015605463
- Cited by
- 366
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 8
- Type
- conference abstract
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- cardiorespiratory fitness, psychosocial stress, stress reactivity, stress tolerance, arousal
- MeSH terms
- Aerobiosis, Blood Pressure, Physical Exertion, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Physical Fitness, Skin Temperature, Stress, Psychological
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