Exploring the Impact of Exercise on Stress

Lindsay Graham; Faculty Mentors- Dr. Sara O’Brien and Dr. David Sallee
Department of Biology Radford University

Abstract Results Conclusion

The college years provide a time point in young adults’ lives that may prove to be more stress-inducing than
any time points experienced thus far. A young adult’s ability to cope with stress is related to the cortisol levels 30 • Frequency of exercising significantly impacts emotional
in his/her body. Previous studies have explored the effects of an individual’s physical conditions and the types stress but not physical stress.
of exercise, varying by rigor on cortisol levels, it remains less explored however when examining how regular 25
• Duration of exercise does not impact emotional or

Average Emotional Stress

exercise in college students may influence their lifestyle and their ability to cope with the stress they
experience in college. The objective for this research project is to identify the differences in basal cortisol 20 physical stress.
levels (as a marker of stress load) of Radford University students who exercise regularly and those that do
not. To explore this relationship, saliva samples will be collected from two groups of students: those that 15 • No interaction of sex and exercise impacts emotional
exercise regularly and those that do not. A cortisol assay will be used to test saliva samples for cortisol levels.
Figure 2. Average or physical stress.
These results will be examined along side results from a self-reporting survey, which will analyze subject 10
demographics, life style characteristics and behavioral feelings of stress, and will be compared between the emotional stress for
two subject groups. Research done on college students specifically will add to existing knowledge on the
subject as past studies have focused on other age groups. Ultimately, research findings could provide college
5 different frequencies Discussion
students with a lifestyle choice, routine exercise, as a method to improve their ability to deal with the stress 0 of exercise. Significant
of college life. • Exercising may act as an outlet, or stress reliever, for college students.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 differences were found • This explain why exercising more frequently throughout the
Frequency of Exercise (number of days)
(P<0.05).
Background week, lowers emotional feelings of stress.
• Age likely has more to do with duration of exercise in relation to physical and
Stress, our body, and why those matter: 25
• The amount of stress a college student experiences is shaped by their ability to cope with
emotional stress.
situations and events that might generate a stress response (Misra, McKean, West, & • College students are generally in better overall shape than older

Average Emotional Stress

20
Russo, 2000) populations encountering the negative effects of aging.
• One’s ability to cope with stressors has a direct relation with their cortisol levels 15 • In older populations, it is probable that less physical and
• Cortisol: a principal glucocorticoid that plays a role in immune functions, emotional stress would correlate to longer durations of exercise
metabolism and physiological stress response (McGuigan, Egan, & Foster, Figure 3. Average 10 (i.e. a marathon runner would likely experience less overall
2015).
emotional stress for physical stress than an individual who exercise for 10 minutes per
• If young adults are not able to cope with stressors and the physiological stress their body 5
responds with, they are more inclined to lose sleep, worry more, feel lonely, etc. (Ross, different durations of day) .
Niebling, & Heckert, 2008), which can lead to physiological impacts on other systems. exercise. No significant 0
Then and now:
• Past studies examined differences in cortisol levels in individuals who exercise at different
differences were found None Low Medium High Future Questions
Duration of Exercise
physical conditioning levels and differences in individuals who perform different forms of (P>0.05). Cortisol levels as a marker of stress:
exercise (Alghadir, Gabr, & Aly, 2015; McGuigan, Egan, & Foster, 2015; Rocha et al., 2012). • Do different exercise routines have an effect on cortisol levels?
• But, how does regular exercise in college students impact lifestyle, i.e. their ability to 25 • Types of exercise versus cortisol levels
handle the stressors of college? • Durations of exercise versus cortisol levels
• Do different types of exercise effect college student’s ability to handle 20 • Frequency of exercise versus cortisol levels
Average Physics Stress

stressors? Cortisol versus self reported stress:

• What about different durations of exercise? 15 • Are emotional feelings of stress indicative of higher cortisol levels?
• Or even differing frequencies of exercising?
10 Figure 4. Average References
Experimental Design and Methodology physical stress for Alghadir, Ahmad H., Sami A. Gabr, and Farag A. Aly. " The effects of four weeks aerobic training on saliva
5
Sampling: different frequencies cortisol and testosterone in young healthy persons." J. Phys. Ter. Sci. 27
• Saliva samples were collected from Radford University students. of exercise. No (2015): 2029-033. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
0 McGuigan, Micael R., Alison D. Egan, and Carl Foster. "Salivary Cortisol Responses and
• Participants completed a self-reported survey determining: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• Physical and emotional feelings of stress significant differences Perceived Exertion During High Intensity and Low Intensity Bouts of
Frequency of Exercise (number of days) Resistance Exercise." Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 3 (2015): 8
• Exercise routine: type of exercise, duration, and frequency were found (P>0.05). 15. Http://www.jssm.org. Web.
Sampling Sampling Sampling Misra, R., McKean, M., West, S., & Russo, T. (2000) ACADEMIC STRESS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS: COMPARISON
18 OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY PERCEPTIONS. College Student Journal. 34(2),
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 16 236.
Data Analysis: Ross, Shannon E., Bradley C. Niebling, and Teresa M. Heckert. "Sources of Stress Among College
Average Physical Stress

14 Students." College Student Journal 3.22 (2008): 1-6. Academic Search

• Self-reported emotional and physical stress levels were scored.
12 Premier. Web. 9 Apr. 2017.
• Exercise routines were classified according to none, high-range, mid-range, and low-range Photo Credit:
durations and frequencies. 10
http://www.toonvectors.com/clip-art/cartoon-woman-working-out/13006
• Interactions were explored via General Least Squares Model. 8
Testing Saliva:
Figure 5. Average
• Collected samples will be tested with an ELISA (enzyme-linked physical stress for
6
4
Acknowledgements & Contacts
immunosorbant assay) kit to measure levels of cortisol. different durations of 2 Special thanks to faculty mentors Dr. Sara O’Brien and Dr. David
• Absorbance of solution is measured giving the
exercise. No significant 0 Sallee, the students in Dr. David Sallee’s classes, and Dr. Jamie
concentration level of cortisol in each sample. Figure 1. Elisa test. None Low Medium High
• Results from ELISA and exercise routines will be compared to explore the effects of varying differences were found Lau. Thank you to the Radford University Honors Academy for
Duration of Exercise
exercise routines on cortisol. (P>0.05). funding and the Office of Undergraduate Research and
Printing Supported by the RU Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Scholarship for poster printing.