ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH30
INTRODUCTION: Anxiety and anger are emotional states that play central roles in the human affective response to psychological stress and have been increasingly recognized as contributors to adverse mental and physical health outcomes when dysregulated. Therefore, investigations of interventions to mitigate these emotional states are warranted. Aerobic exercise is a non-pharmacological treatment widely recognized for its acute anxiolytic and mood-regulating effects, typically demonstrated in neutral emotional contexts. However, it remains unclear whether such effects are preserved when exercise is performed concurrently with emotionally aversive stimuli, a situation that more closely mirrors real-world stress conditions. The objective of this study was to examine whether a single session of moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise, performed simultaneously with exposure to aversive images, could mitigate acute symptoms of state anxiety and anger in young adult women. METHODS: In a randomized controlled design, 52 healthy women (18–40 years) attended two laboratory visits. The first visit included informed consent, health screening, anthropometric assessments, and a graded exercise test. In the second visit, participants were randomized to four groups: Neutral Control, Aversive Control, Neutral Exercise, and Aversive Exercise. During a 30-minute intervention (cycling at 64–76% of maximal heart rate or quiet sitting), participants viewed neutral or aversive images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), a widely used tool that includes a broad array of visual stimuli. It comprises hundreds of high-resolution color images designed to evoke emotional responses and encompasses nearly all facets of everyday situations (e.g., sports, landscapes, and violence). State anxiety and state anger were measured at baseline, immediately post-session, and at 10- and 20-minute follow-ups. State anxiety was assessed using the State-trait Anxiety Inventory. State anger was assessed using the State-Trait Anger Inventory. RESULTS: A significant main effect of time was observed for both anxiety and anger (p < 0.05). For anxiety, symptoms increased immediately post-session but returned to baseline, with no main effect of group (p > 0.05) and no significant time × group interaction (p > 0.05). For anger, there was a main effect of time (p < 0.05) and a significant time × group interaction (p = 0.028), driven by an increase in anger in the Aversive Exercise group immediately post-session (p = 0.0001). As expected, no significant effects were detected under neutral conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent exposure to emotionally aversive stimuli during moderate-intensity aerobic exercise does not reduce acute anxiety or anger in young women and may amplify anger responses. Emotional context may override the affective benefits typically associated with aerobic exercise.
Read CV Claudio de LiraECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH30