TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical fitness, but not physical activity, is associated with mental health in apparently healthy young adults
AU - Blumenburg, Wesley T.
AU - Frederick, Josiah M.
AU - Cross, Brett L.
AU - Culver, Meral N.
AU - McMillan, Nathan K.
AU - Montoye, Alexander H.
AU - Flatt, Andrew A.
AU - Grosicki, Gregory J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA.
PY - 2022/9
Y1 - 2022/9
N2 - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of mental health disorders is rising globally. Despite the popularity of exercise as a strategy to improve mental health in individuals with anxiety or depression, there is a paucity of literature on this topic in apparently healthy young individuals who are free from mental illness. METHODS: We characterized relationships between actigraphy-derived physical activity levels and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max; via maximal graded exercise testing), with mental health assessed using psychometric questionnaires (POMS and PSS) in apparently healthy young adults (26±4.3yrs; 22 women and 26 men). RESULTS: In women and men combined, relative VO2max (33.5±8.1 mL/kg/min) was associated (P<0.01) with POMS (r=-0.454) and PSS (r=-0.510) scores, and relationships between fitness and POMS were preserved (P<0.05) after controlling for body fat (27.2±9.9%). Additionally, VO2max was associated (P<0.05) with numerous POMS subcomponents (tension, anger, fatigue, depression, confusion; all P<0.05). No relationships (P>0.05) were observed between physical activity profiles (sedentary time, light intensity time, moderate-vigorous intensity time, total steps, counts per day) with POMS or PSS scores, and only total steps was associated with relative VO2max (r=0.331; P=0.021). Relationships between relative VO2max and POMS scores were also observed in men (r=-0.407, P=0.039) and women (r=-0.490; P=0.021) individually, but VO2max and PSS relationships were exclusive to men (r=-0.516, P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Independent of body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, but not actigraphy-derived physical activity, is associated with mental health in apparently healthy young men and women. To maximize mental health benefits, exercise training interventions are advised to focus on eliciting improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness.
AB - BACKGROUND: The prevalence of mental health disorders is rising globally. Despite the popularity of exercise as a strategy to improve mental health in individuals with anxiety or depression, there is a paucity of literature on this topic in apparently healthy young individuals who are free from mental illness. METHODS: We characterized relationships between actigraphy-derived physical activity levels and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max; via maximal graded exercise testing), with mental health assessed using psychometric questionnaires (POMS and PSS) in apparently healthy young adults (26±4.3yrs; 22 women and 26 men). RESULTS: In women and men combined, relative VO2max (33.5±8.1 mL/kg/min) was associated (P<0.01) with POMS (r=-0.454) and PSS (r=-0.510) scores, and relationships between fitness and POMS were preserved (P<0.05) after controlling for body fat (27.2±9.9%). Additionally, VO2max was associated (P<0.05) with numerous POMS subcomponents (tension, anger, fatigue, depression, confusion; all P<0.05). No relationships (P>0.05) were observed between physical activity profiles (sedentary time, light intensity time, moderate-vigorous intensity time, total steps, counts per day) with POMS or PSS scores, and only total steps was associated with relative VO2max (r=0.331; P=0.021). Relationships between relative VO2max and POMS scores were also observed in men (r=-0.407, P=0.039) and women (r=-0.490; P=0.021) individually, but VO2max and PSS relationships were exclusive to men (r=-0.516, P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Independent of body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, but not actigraphy-derived physical activity, is associated with mental health in apparently healthy young men and women. To maximize mental health benefits, exercise training interventions are advised to focus on eliciting improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness.
KW - Actigraphy
KW - Athletes
KW - Exercise
KW - Mood disorders
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85139572936&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.23736/S0022-4707.21.13115-9
DO - 10.23736/S0022-4707.21.13115-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 34931785
AN - SCOPUS:85139572936
SN - 0022-4707
VL - 62
SP - 1410
EP - 1417
JO - Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
JF - Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
IS - 11
ER -