Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and debilitating condition associated with psychological conditions and chronic diseases that may be underpinned by dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and chronic systemic low-grade inflammation. The objective of this pilot study was to determine psychological, ANS [heart rate variability (HRV)], HPA (salivary cortisol) and inflammatory (salivary C-Reactive Protein) responses to a bout of vigorous exercise in male first responders, military veterans and active duty personnel with (n = 4) and without (n = 4) PTSD. Participants (50.1 ± 14.8 years) performed a thirteen-minute, vigorous intensity (70%–80% of heart rate max), one-on-one boxing session with a certified coach. Physiological and psychological parameters were measured before, during, immediately after to 30 min post-exercise, and then at 24 h and 48 h post. The effect sizes demonstrated large to very large reductions in HRV that lasted up to 48 h post-exercise in the PTSD group compared with unclear effects in the trauma-exposed control (TEC) group. There were unclear effects for depression, anxiety and stress as well as salivary biomarkers for both groups at all time-points. Findings may reflect stress-induced changes to the ANS for PTSD sufferers.
Highlights
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that manifests after experiencing trauma [1]
Chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal, hepatic, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems as well as sleep disorders, were shown to be significantly higher in Australian Vietnam War veterans with PTSD compared with their non-PTSD, trauma-exposed counterparts [2]
The self-administered DASS questionnaire was used to assess the negative emotional symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress that are associated with PTSD [32,33]
Summary
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that manifests after experiencing trauma [1]. The lifetime prevalence rate for PTSD amongst Australians that served in the Vietnam. 16.5% of Australian veterans returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan are diagnosed with. High unemployment rates and medical costs associated with PTSD (approximately $925 million over a two-year period) place a substantial burden on society [3,4,5,6]. Chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal, hepatic, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems as well as sleep disorders, were shown to be significantly higher in Australian Vietnam War veterans with PTSD compared with their non-PTSD, trauma-exposed counterparts [2]. The authors proposed that PTSD should be
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