@article{ref1,
title="Working it out: acute exercise to combat anxiety and depressive symptoms in individuals living with subsyndromal post-traumatic stress disorder",
journal="International journal of sport and exercise psychology",
year="2022",
author="Greene, Daniel R. and Petruzzello, Steven J.",
volume="20",
number="5",
pages="1416-1431",
abstract="Exercise has significantly reduced symptoms of mental health disorders, but often overlooked is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).<br><br>PURPOSE Examine the effects of moderate-intensity continuous aerobic exercise (MICE) and high-intensity functional exercise (HIFE), relative to an inactive control (SED), in participants with subsyndromal PTSD (sub-PTSD). <br><br>METHODS: Participants [N = 24, 9 males; age (M ± SD) = 25.9 ± 9.2 yrs] with sub-PTSD completed a VO2max test on day 1. Participants then completed 35-min MICE, HIFE, and SED conditions on days 2-4. Exercise conditions included a 5-min warm-up and cool-down, with 25-min exercise between 65-70 percent VO2max for MICE and an average of 80.36 ± 6.95 percent VO2max for HIFE. Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed before (Pre), immediately (Post0), 20-min (Post20) and 40-minutes after (Post40) each condition.<br><br>RESULTS Anxiety Post40 was significantly less than Pre for HIFE [d = 1.05], MICE [d = 0.78], and SED [d = 0.53]. Depression Post40 was significantly less than Pre for HIFE [d = 0.76], MICE [d = 0.84], and SED [d = 0.32].<br><br>CONCLUSION Exercise significantly reduced anxiety and depression to a greater extent than SED. This study provides evidence for exercise-induced short-term improvements in comorbid psychological conditions associated with sub-PTSD. Implications for individuals experiencing clinical levels of PTSD could be vast and warrant further investigation.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1612-197X",
doi="10.1080/1612197X.2021.1979075",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2021.1979075"
}