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Aerobic fitness impacts sympathoadrenal axis responses to concurrent challenges

European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The combination of mental and physical challenges can elicit exacerbated cardiorespiratory (CR) and catecholamine responses above that of a single challenge alone.

Purpose

This study examined the effects of a combination of acute mental challenges and physical stress on cardiorespiratory and catecholamine responses.

Method

Eight below-average fitness (LF VO2max = 36.58 ± 3.36 ml−1 kg−1 min−1) and eight above-average fitness (HF VO2max = 51.18 ± 2.09 ml−1 kg−1 min−1) participants completed an exercise-alone condition (EAC) session consisting of moderate-intensity cycling at 60% VO2max for 37 min, and a dual-challenge condition (DCC) that included concurrent participation in mental challenges while cycling.

Result

The DCC resulted in increases in perceived workload, CR, epinephrine, and norepinephrine responses overall. HF participants had greater absolute CR and catecholamine responses compared to LF participants and quicker HR recovery after the dual challenge.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that cardiorespiratory fitness does impact the effect of concurrent stressors on CR and catecholamine responses.

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Abbreviations

AUC:

Area-under-the-curve

CR:

Cardiorespiratory

EPI:

Epinephrine

DCC:

Dual-challenge condition

EAC:

Exercise-alone condition

HR:

Heart rate

HF:

Higher-fitness

LF:

Lower-fitness

NE:

Norepinephrine

SA:

Sympathoadrenal axis

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Supatchara Tangsilat and Kelly McCleod for their assistance in data collection with this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, 358 Island Hall, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA

    Heather E. Webb

  2. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Deena A. Rosalky

  3. Mississippi State University, Mississippi, MS, USA

    Matthew J. McAllister

  4. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

    Edmund O. Acevedo

  5. Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA

    Gary H. Kamimori

Authors
  1. Heather E. Webb
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  2. Deena A. Rosalky
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  3. Matthew J. McAllister
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  4. Edmund O. Acevedo
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  5. Gary H. Kamimori
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heather E. Webb.

Ethics declarations

No external funding was received to conduct this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Material has been reviewed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. There is no objection to its presentation and/or publication. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author, and are not to be construed as official, or as reflecting true views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.

Additional information

Communicated by Keith Phillip George.

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Webb, H.E., Rosalky, D.A., McAllister, M.J. et al. Aerobic fitness impacts sympathoadrenal axis responses to concurrent challenges. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 301–313 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3519-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-016-3519-3

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