Severe Intensity Exercise Promote Greater Reduction In Anxiety Scores Than Moderate In Adults

Abstract

It is well known that moderate exercise can modulate anxiety state; however, few studies have shown the effects of severe intensity exercise over anxiety. PURPOSE: Compare the impact of moderate and severe exercise on anxiety state answers in healthy adults. METHODS: Twenty four male subjects (30.45±5.3yrs; 74.78±8.9kg; 174.12±4.1cm; 24.69±2.4kg/m2; 18.04±5.5%Fat mass; 27.33±4.5 Trait Anxiety Score), were submitted to two tests at intensities based on Vpeak percentage of a treadmill maximal graded test separated by 7 days: 1) 60% Vpeak for 30 minutes (moderate intensity); 2) 85% Vpeak until volitional exhaustion (severe intensity). For these conditions, the subjects answered de state subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in the following time-courses: baseline (B), immediately after (IA) and 30 minutes after (R) the end of exercise. The results were compared using GLM (General linear models with Duncan post-hoc, with significance p≤0.05. The protocol was approved by Unifesp Ethics Committed (#2.381.537). RESULTS: A significant reduction in anxiety scores was found immediately after (p = 0.03) and 30 minutes after (p = 0.02) moderate exercise (60% Vpeak) when compared to pre-exercise moment. Similar pattern was observed in the severe exercise (85% Vpeak) with lower scores 30 minutes after (p = 0.01) when compared to the other time-courses. At this intensity the scores came from a moderate anxiety immediately after to low level 30 minutes after the end of exercise. Comparing the variation between IA-B and IA-R, it was observed that the reduction in anxiety scores was even greater in the severe exercise (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: The comparison between the exercise intensities showed that both intensities can reduce state anxiety scores but severe intensity reduced scores in a greater amplitude than the moderate exercise in adults. Financial Support: AFIP, CAPES (001 code), and CNPq