Stress Reactivity of Physical Stressor on Depression

Overview

Depressive elderly individuals have showed higher basal level of cortisol and lower level of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Moreover, changes on these hormone levels have also observed in reactivity of an acute stress, such as physical exercise. On the other hand, physical training can modulate the release of these hormones. Therefore, depressive elderly individuals physically actives might show attenuated reactivity of an acute physical stressor compared to sedentary elderly individuals. The aim of these study is to compare the effect of an acute physical stressor on cortisol levels in depressive and healthy individuals, physically actives and sedentaries. Additionally, the sulfated form of DHEA (DHEAS) serves as a reservoir for DHEA, because of that it is expected that DHEAS levels might reduce after the acute physical exercise.

Depressive and healthy individuals were submitted to one session of 30 minutes of physical exercise of moderate intensity. Before and soon after the exercise it was collected saliva - to analyse cortisol and DHEAS hormones - and some psychological and physical aspects were also collected, such as anamneses, scales of anxiety, temperaments, mood, stress and quality of life. Moreover, during exercise heart rate and mood scale were assessed. To evaluate the reactivity and recovery of physical stressor (physical exercise) saliva tubes and psychological scales were collected 30 minutes and 45 minutes after the end of exercise.

Conditions