Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30159718›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2018

Influence of Regular Physical Activity and Fitness on Stress Reactivity as Measured with the Trier Social Stress Test Protocol: A Systematic Review.

Manuel Mücke, Sebastian Ludyga, Flora Colledge, Markus Gerber

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 94 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
94citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
6.0field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

94 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 179 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Effects of an Acute Physical Activity Break on Test Anxiety and Math Test Performance.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020
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  15. Article
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  18. Time to Address Eating Disorder Risk Among Medical Students.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
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  20. Article

34 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Manuel MückeDivision of Sport and Psychosocial Health, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, Basel, 4052, Switzerland. manuel.muecke@unibas.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5303-9289
Sebastian LudygaDivision of Sport and Health Pedagogy, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, Basel, 4052, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3905-7894
Flora ColledgeDivision of Sport and Health Pedagogy, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, Basel, 4052, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5406-7276
Markus GerberDivision of Sport and Psychosocial Health, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Birsstrasse 320 B, Basel, 4052, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6140-8948
University of Basel · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPsychosocial stress is associated with multiple health complaints. Research to date suggests that regular physical activity (PA) and higher cardiorespiratory fitness may reduce stress reactivity and therefore contribute to a reduction of stress-related risk factors. While previous reviews have not differentiated between stressors, we focus on psychosocial stress elicited with the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST).

objectiveOur objective was to examine the effect of regular PA and cardiorespiratory fitness on stress reactivity, with a particular focus on the TSST. The TSST is the laboratory task most widely used to induce socio-evaluative stress and elicits stronger stress reactions than most other cognitive stressor tasks.

methodsA systematic search within various databases was performed in January 2018. The following outcomes were considered: cortisol, heart rate, psychological stress reactivity, and potential moderators (age, sex, exercise intensity, assessment mode, and psychological constructs).

resultsIn total, 14 eligible studies were identified. Cortisol and heart rate reactivity were attenuated by higher PA or better fitness in seven of twelve studies and four of nine studies, respectively. Two of four studies reported smaller increases in anxiety and smaller decreases in calmness in physically active/fitter participants. Three of four studies found that higher PA/fitness was associated with more favorable mood in response to the TSST.

conclusionAbout half of the studies suggested that higher PA/fitness levels were associated with an attenuated response to psychosocial stress. Currently, most evidence is based on cross-sectional analyses. Therefore, a great need for further studies with longitudinal or experimental designs exists.

Indexed as

Cardiorespiratory FitnessExerciseStress, PsychologicalAnxietyHeart RateHumansHydrocortisonePsychological TestsHydrocortisone

Identifiers

PMID30159718
OpenAlexW2889357575

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.