Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with lower anger and anxiety and higher emotional resilience

Abstract

Background and aims: Physical activity is part of the treatment for several mental diseases, including anxiety disorders. However, it is not known whether individuals with higher levels of physical fitness experience lower levels of anxiety or stressful emotions. It is also unknown whether those individuals can better control their emotions in stressful situations. The aim of this study was to examine whether high cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with lower trait levels of anger and anxiety, and whether individuals with different fitness levels show distinct emotional responses to unpleasant visual stimuli. Methods: On separate days, 40 healthy young participants completed two sessions. Trait anxiety and anger were assessed during the first session to characterize the participants. The participants self-reported their exercise practice to predict cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). The participants' anger/anxiety levels were assessed before and after exposure to a 69-picture set of unpleasant or neutral pictures for 30 min. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) (β = −0.241, t = −3.173, 95% confidence interval CI [−0.395; −0.087], p = 0.003) and anger-out (β = 0.333, t = 2.124, 95%CI [0.015; 0.651], p = 0.040) were predictors of changes in anger-state in the unpleasant picture presentation. Individuals with a V̇O2max below average (BA) had a 775% greater risk for changing their classification from intermediate to high anxiety levels compared to above average (AA) individuals (OR = 8.754, 95%CI [1.202; 63.759]). V̇O2max was a predictor of trait anxiety (β = −0.456, t = −3.485, 95%CI [−0.721; −0.191]; p = 0.001). Conclusion: CRF is associated with lower levels of trait anxiety and higher resilience in situations of emotional stress.