Maya Stier
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Rebecca Hasson
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Kinesiology / Kinesiology
Program:
Authors: Maya Stier, Olivia Plagens, Rebecca Hasson
Session: Session 7: 4:40 pm – 5:30 pm
Poster: 17
Abstract
Background: Chronic stress is becoming more prevalent among adolescents, leading to an increase in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Between 2017 and 2021, rates of depression and anxiety have doubled, with chronic stress playing a significant role in exacerbating these conditions. Exercise is a well-established strategy for building resilience and therefore could help adolescents manage stress. However, it is unclear which type of exercise (continuous vs intermittent) optimally buffers adolescent stress. Purpose: This study will directly compare the immediate effects of continuous and intermittent exercise on physiological and emotional stress reactivity and recovery following exposure to a psychosocial laboratory stressor. Methods: A sample of adolescents ages 12-19 will be recruited to participate in the Stress Buffering Research Study where they will be randomized to a continuous exercise condition (five hours of sitting interrupted by one 20-minute exercise bout) or intermittent exercise condition (five hours of sitting interrupted by five four-minute intermittent exercise bouts). Follow exercise, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) will be administered. Physiological stress reactivity and recovery will be measured via salivary cortisol, heart rate, blood pressure, before, during, and after exercise and the TSST. Emotional stress reactivity and recovery will be measured via a visual analog scale through the condition day. Expected Results: A key aspect of a healthy physiological system is its capacity to adapt to unpredictable stressors. Therefore, we hypothesize that intermittent exercise can serve as such a stimulus and will reduce physiological and emotional stress reactivity and recovery to a greater extent than continuous exercise. Implications: The findings of this study will help inform future interventions to support stress reduction and emotion regulation in adolescent populations using the most efficacious dose of exercise. Such interventions could help build adolescent resilience to combat the growing mental health crisis in the United States.
