Psychosomatic Medicine Tips for Better Browsing
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by de Geus, E. J.
Right arrow Articles by Orlebeke, J. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by de Geus, E. J.
Right arrow Articles by Orlebeke, J. F.

Psychosomatic Medicine, Vol 55, Issue 4 347-363, Copyright © 1993 by American Psychosomatic Society

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Regular exercise and aerobic fitness in relation to psychological make-up and physiological stress reactivity

EJ de Geus, LJ van Doornen and JF Orlebeke
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

This study assessed the association of aerobic fitness with psychological make-up and physiological stress-reactivity in a group of untrained men, as well as the effects of 4 and 8 months of exercise training on these parameters. Psychological assessment included questionnaires on personality (Neuroticism, Type A, Hostility), coping styles (Anger In, Anger Out), negative affect (Depression, Anxiety), and self-esteem. Stress reactivity was measured as the cardiovascular and urinary catecholamine response to two competitive reaction time tasks and the cold pressor test. No cross sectional relationships were found between aerobic fitness, defined as the maximal oxygen consumption during an exhaustive exercise test, and any of the psychological variables. In addition, psychological make-up did not change as a consequence of exercise training. In further contrast to our hypothesis, aerobic fitness was associated with high, rather than low, cardiovascular reactivity. Longitudinal effects of training were limited to a reduction in the overall levels of heart rate and diastolic blood pressure. This suggests that regular exercise does not increase the resistance to stress-related disease by influencing psychological make-up or acute psychophysiologic reactivity.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
J. M. McCaffery, H. Snieder, Y. Dong, and E. de Geus
Genetics in Psychosomatic Medicine: Research Designs and Statistical Approaches
Psychosom Med, February 1, 2007; 69(2): 206 - 216.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
J. A. Bosch, M. Turkenburg, K. Nazmi, E. C. I. Veerman, E. J. C. de Geus, and A. V. Nieuw Amerongen
Stress as a Determinant of Saliva-Mediated Adherence and Coadherence of Oral and Nonoral Microorganisms
Psychosom Med, July 1, 2003; 65(4): 604 - 612.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
J. A. Bosch, E. J. C. de Geus, E. C. I. Veerman, J. Hoogstraten, and A. V. Nieuw Amerongen
Innate Secretory Immunity in Response to Laboratory Stressors That Evoke Distinct Patterns of Cardiac Autonomic Activity
Psychosom Med, March 1, 2003; 65(2): 245 - 258.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am J EpidemiolHome page
D. Kritz-Silverstein, E. Barrett-Connor, and C. Corbeau
Cross-sectional and Prospective Study of Exercise and Depressed Mood in the Elderly : The Rancho Bernardo Study
Am. J. Epidemiol., March 15, 2001; 153(6): 596 - 603.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Biol Res NursHome page
H. Summers, M. K. B. Lustyk, M. Heitkemper, and M. E. Jarrett
Effect of Aerobic Fitness on the Physiological Stress Response in Women
Biol Res Nurs, July 1, 1999; 1(1): 48 - 56.
[Abstract] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1993 by the American Psychosomatic Society