The Role of Anthropogenic Elements in the Environment for Affective States and Cortisol Concentration in Mountain Hiking-A Crossover Trial.

Martin Niedermeier,Arnulf Hartl,Christina Pichler,Carina Grafetstätter,Daniela Huber,Martin Kopp,Michaela Mayr

doi:10.3390/ijerph16020290

Abstract

Green exercise might have positive effects on health and affective states. Little is known about the ideal characteristics of the natural environment, where exercise is conducted in. Thus, the primary aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of anthropogenic elements on acute stress-related physiological responses and affective states in green exercise. Using a crossover field study design, 52 healthy participants were exposed to two different mountain hiking conditions: An environment with less anthropogenic elements and an environment with more anthropogenic elements. Pre and post conditions, affective states and salivary cortisol concentration were measured. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze if pre-post changes differed between the conditions. Pre-post changes in affective states and salivary cortisol concentration did not significantly differ, partial η² < 0.06. Positive affective states showed significantly higher values post compared to pre-condition, partial η² > 0.13. The present results indicate that anthropogenic elements have a minor role in the influence on affective states and salivary cortisol concentration during mountain hiking. It is concluded that a single bout of mountain hiking independent of anthropogenic elements in the environment is effective in influencing affective states positively.

Highlights

Physical activity is considered to be an important contributing factor to human health
The results suggest comparable on affective states and salivary cortisol level during mountain hiking
The results suggest changes of both affective states and salivary cortisol level whenlevel hiking in environments with less comparable changes of both affective states and salivary cortisol when hiking in environments and more anthropogenic elements

Summary

Introduction

Physical activity is considered to be an important contributing factor to human health. It is recommended as an intervention when a chronic disease is present [1], and—and maybe more importantly—as a prevention against diseases and for maintaining a healthy lifestyle [2]. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms to influence physical activity behavior is highly needed. Scientific interest in factors influencing affective state, understood as an emotional state cognitively accessed [6], related to physical activity has increased in the past. Green exercise, defined as physical activity in a natural environment [7], was reported to be more effective in improving affective states compared to indoor exercise in

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Discussion

Conclusion