The Effects of Acute Exercise on Stress Reactivity, Mind Wandering, and Lecture Comprehension
Abstract
Experiencing acute stressors is pervasive and inevitable. Exposure to an acute stressor often results in the activation of physiological and psychological systems. An at-risk population for the deleterious effects of acute stress is post-secondary students. Post-secondary students experience numerous acute stressors and accumulating evidence suggests acute stress negatively affects cognitive and academic outcomes. Given the above, identifying interventions that effectively reduce acute stress reactivity and promote positive academic outcomes is imperative. This dissertation is comprised of three interrelated studies with the overall objective of assessing whether acute exercise (i.e., a single bout) can attenuate stress responses and subsequently optimize learning-related outcomes in young adults. Given the multidimensional nature of acute stress responses, Study 1 involved a systematic review of 31 studies that examined the effects of acute exercise, of any modality, on heart rate, blood pressure, cortisol, catecholamine, and self-report measures in adults. Findings from Study 1 suggested acute exercise resulted in reliable reductions to blood pressure and cortisol measures, mixed effects on heart rate, and negligible effects on self-report measures. Furthermore, Study 1 underscored the importance of utilizing a multidimensional assessment of stress reactivity that was used in Studies 2 and 3. Study 2 examined the effects of an acute stressor (i.e., Trier Social Stress Test; TSST) on mind wandering during a video lecture and lecture comprehension in 40 young adults. Study 2 results suggested acute stress increased mind wandering and decreased lecture comprehension. Lastly, Study 3 examined the effects of a 30-min bout of high-intensity aerobic exercise prior to exposure to the TSST and the subsequent effects on mind wandering during a video lecture and lecture comprehension in 40 young adults. Study 3 results did not find reliable evidence for attenuation of stress responses due to exercise. However, individuals who engaged in exercise prior to the TSST endorsed less mind wandering (i.e., greater on-task behaviour) and higher lecture comprehension than their non-exercise counterparts. Collectively, this work identified the importance of examining acute stress responses in a multidimensional manner and explored the potential of acute exercise for stress reduction and subsequent optimization of learning-related outcomes.