Psychological stress during exercise: cardiorespiratory and hormonal responses

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology Vol. 104; no. 6; pp. 973 - 981
• Main Authors: Webb, Heather E., Weldy, Michael L., Fabianke-Kadue, Emily C., Orndorff, G. R., Kamimori, Gary H., Acevedo, Edmund O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-12-2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adrenal Glands - physiology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Epinephrine - blood; Exercise - physiology; Exercise intensity; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Hormones; Human Physiology; Humans; Hydrocortisone - blood; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiology; Male; Metabolism; Nervous system; Norepinephrine - blood; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Physical fitness; Physiology; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiology; Psychobiology; Pulmonary Ventilation - physiology; Respiratory Mechanics - physiology; Sports Medicine; Stress, Psychological - metabolism; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology; Workloads; Young Adult; United States > US; Mississippi; Exercise/physiology; Exercise/psychology; Stress, psychological/physiopathology; Mental processes/physiology
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-008-0852-1

The purpose of this study was to examine the cardiorespiratory (CR) and stress hormone responses to a combined physical and mental stress. Eight participants (
 = 41.24 ± 6.20 ml kg
−1
 min
−1
) completed two experimental conditions, a treatment condition including a 37 min ride at 60% of
with participants responding to a computerized mental challenge dual stress condition (DSC) and a control condition of the same duration and intensity without the mental challenge exercise alone condition (EAC). Significant interactions across time were found for CR responses, with heart rate, ventilation, and respiration rate demonstrating higher increases in the DSC. Additionally, norepinephrine was significantly greater in the DSC at the end of the combined challenge. Furthermore, cortisol area-under-the-curve (AUC) was also significantly elevated during the DSC. These results demonstrate that a mental challenge during exercise can exacerbate the stress response, including the release of hormones that have been linked to negative health consequences (cardiovascular, metabolic, autoimmune illnesses).