Sport dampens stress reactions in the brain

The brain reacts less stressed

Now a research team led by Hadil Zureigat from Harvard Medical School in Boston has found another effective mechanism: physical activity reduces the stress response in the brain. This could explain why people with depression particularly benefit from the heart-protective effect of exercise.

The team analysed data from more than 50,000 people who had taken part in a survey on their physical activity. 774 of them also underwent a PET scan (positron emission tomography) in combination with a computer tomography scan.

This allows metabolic activities to be determined in different areas of the brain. The result: more physically active people tend to show less stress-related brain activity.

Calmed stress centres

This effect was due to improved function in the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain involved in so-called executive functions, such as decision-making and impulse control.

This region is also involved in calming the stress centres in the brain. In physically active people, fewer stress signals are transmitted from the brain to the body, which appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Nervousness, irritability and depressive moods can be related to an underactive or overactive thyroid.

Cardiovascular risk reduced by 23%

This was also confirmed by the follow-up period of an average of ten years: During this time, 12.9 percent of the participants developed cardiovascular disease.

People who followed medical recommendations for physical activity had a 23 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than participants who were less active.

As a rule of thumb for the minimum level of physical activity, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity endurance exercise (e.g. walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (e.g. jogging) per week.

People with depression benefit particularly

People with depression benefit most from the effect of exercise. Stress is considered to be a major contributing factor to this mental illness. “Physical activity was about twice as effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with depression (compared to the other participants; editor’s note),” reports Ahmed Tawakol, the lead author of the study.

This new observation could explain the effects on stress-related brain activity. But effects such as a reduction in cortisol levels through exercise, which are often chronically elevated in people with depression, may also contribute to this.

Depression: an independent factor for cardiovascular disease

In fact, the risk of cardiovascular disease is particularly high in people with depression: mental illness has long been known as a strong independent risk factor for cardiovascular problems. Conversely, people with corresponding illnesses, for example after a heart attack, are more likely to develop depression.

Exercise is therefore crucial for the heart health of depressed people. And there is probably an even more important reason: exercise can effectively improve depression. In fact, it works just as well as an antidepressant for moderate depression.

In the UAE

Here in the UAE we are able to play every sport there is and in the world class facilities so as the temperatures start to cool down, there should be no excuses, get out there and get moving.