Cardiorespiratory fitness, regular physical activity, and autonomic nervous system reactivity to laboratory and daily life stress.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Observational cross-sectional study evaluating physiological and affective stress reactivity across fitness levels
PubMed 36379911 · doi:10.1111/psyp.14212
What was done
116 young adults (mean age 22.48 ± 3.56 years, 57.76% female) underwent assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness via submaximal VO2max testing, alongside structured interviews assessing leisure-time exercise and total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Autonomic nervous system reactivity was measured continuously during laboratory stressors and ambulatory daily life monitoring using inter-beat interval, pre-ejection period, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and non-specific skin conductance responses. Affective reactivity was tracked after laboratory conditions and hourly in daily life via digital questionnaires. Linear regressions evaluated exposures as predictors of stress reactivity.
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical data, effect sizes, or p-values. Higher aerobic fitness and total MVPA were associated with lower resting heart rate in both laboratory and daily life settings. However, no evidence was found supporting the cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis: neither aerobic fitness nor physical activity predicted autonomic or affective reactivity to stressors in the laboratory or daily life.
Why it matters
In a combined laboratory and ambulatory protocol, physical fitness and exercise failed to buffer acute autonomic or emotional stress reactivity, suggesting the physiological benefits of fitness do not translate to reduced acute psychological stress responsiveness in young adults.
Limits
The abstract reports no quantitative values or confidence intervals. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality. Physical activity and exercise exposures relied on structured recall interviews rather than objective accelerometry, and the sample was restricted to healthy young adults.
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