Stress and exercise Flashcards
Define stress. (source?)
A relationship with the environment that the person appraises as significant for his/her well-being and in which the demands tax or exceed available coping resources (Lazarus and Folkman, 1986)
What’s the difference between distress and eustress?
Distress - a negative, destructive form of stress (e.g. exams, divorce, death)
Eustress - a highly desirable form of stress (e.g. graduation, marriage, job promotion)
Briefly explain the difference between acute and chronic stress.
Acute - intense but time-limited stress, has a definitive start and end point
Chronic - Prolonged form of stress that extends for an indeterminate time period (e.g., weeks, months, years).
Describe the 4-step process of stress.
Stage 1 - Environmental demand
Stage 2 - Individual’s appraisal of the environmental demand (is it important/can I cope with it?)
Stage 3 - Stress response (arousal/anxiety/muscle tension)
Stage 4 - Behavioural consequences (performance or outcome)
What biological/physiological differences were found by Morgan et al (2001) between soldiers who had been trained for mental resiliency and those who had not?
Trained individuals had:
Greater levels of Neuropeptide Y (an amino acid that helps regulate blood pressure, appetite, memory, learning as well as tempering alarm, anxiety and the effects of stress hormones)
Greater levels of the hormoneDHEA, which buffers the effects of cortisol
Abnormally low rates of heart rate variability
Outline the General Adaptation Syndrome model of stress
Stage 1: Alarm reaction - general feelings of worry/irritability/vulnerability. Adrenal glands enlarge to produce more adrenaline and discharge stored-up steroids
Stage 2: Resistance stage - adaptation to the stress, adrenal glands return to normal size, steroid supply replenished
Stage 3: Exhaustion stage - person becomes overloaded and experiences fatigue and stress-related disorders (anxiety & depression), adrenal glands become enlarged
Although there are many markers/indices of stress, including biochemical, physiological, behavioural and congnitive markers, what questionnaire is used to measure level of stress? Who developed it?
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein, 1983
What other common measures of stress exist?
Cardiovascular measures: Heart rate and blood pressure
Hormonal Measures: Catecholamines from urine, Salivary IGA levels, Cortisol from blood plasma
Give some moderators of stress
High dispositional optimism High internal locus of control or taking responsibility for one’s actions High in hardiness/mental toughness Low in trait anxiety and depression Low in hostility/expression of anger Low in neuroticism
What is the relationship between exercise and stress?
People report feeling less stress following acute exercise bouts
They are less stressed in general when they are physically active as opposed to being sedentary
What were the findings of Aldana et al (1996) regarding exercise and stress?
Individuals who have high PA levels in their leisure time are 38% times less likely to report high perceived stress and 22% times less likely to report moderate perceived stress as compared to individuals low in PA.
BUT: self-selected participants and self-report, can’t determine causality
Describe the Physiological Toughness Model
Intermittent but regular exposure to stressors (e.g., a swim in cold water) especially if coupled with a sense of control or adequate recovery, shape the physiological responses of individuals to similar events
At baseline, individuals exhibit low levels of catecholamines (e.g., adrenaline) and glucocorticoids (i.e., cortisol).
During stressful events, these individuals exhibit a sharp, rapid rise in catecholamines, but a limited increase in cortisol.
As a consequence, their heart rate rises and mental activity is augmented, but blood pressure remains relatively constant
These physiological responses lead to adaptive reactions to future challenging situations (e.g., less fear or avoidant responses, events are conceptualized as challenges rather than threats)
What were the findings of Crew and Lander (1987) regarding exercise and stress?
Reviewed 34 studies and found that fit individuals have sizeable smaller stress response than unfit individuals
due to more efficient coping system and inoculated to the repeated stressors.
Evidence also suggests that fitness or exercise training may provide a more rapid recovery from the stressor once it is no longer present
What is the Coping hypothesis regarding why exercise has a positive effect on stress?
Physical activity produces a more efficient system so recovery of the autonomic system is quicker
What is the Inoculation hypothesis regarding why exercise has a positive effect on stress?
Chronic physical activity enhances the ability to cope with stress, magnitude of response in well-trained individuals is reduced
