Sports probably reduce the amount of stress: this is reflected in the health of the heart and psyche

A decrease in stress signals was observed in people who exercised more.

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Physical activity can reduce the number of stress signals in the body. In people with depression, this effect is more noticeable than in healthy people.

About this informs CNN, citing research, published in JAACC Journals.

Scientists analyzed the results of a survey of more than 50,000 adults aged about 60 years. They also examined images of their brains and digital recordings of cardiovascular events (cases of possible damage to the heart muscle).

Thus, the scientists discovered a connection between the decrease in the level of stress signals in the brain and the physical activity of the participants. This leads to a reduction in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, they claim.

“Individuals who exercised more showed a gradual decrease in stress-related signals in the brain,” – says the lead author of the study, Dr. Ahmed Tavakol, an adjunct professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Positive changes were found not only in the volume of stress signals, but also in an increase in the activity of the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that is responsible for cognitive processes that control behavior.

As the authors note, an excessive number of stress signals can cause inflammation and increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which leads to a general increase in the body’s activity due to the acceleration of the heart, narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels, and stimulation of metabolism.

Also, jumps in blood pressure and the occurrence of diseases associated with thickening of the arteries were noted.

As it turned out, the influence of activity is more revealing in people who have suffered from depression in the past. For individuals who have not previously had the disease, the benefits of exercise disappear after about 300 minutes of moderate activity per week. However, for people suffering from depression, the advantage lasted longer.

“Depression is known to be an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as one of the most common stress-related conditions.

Although some individuals may be more susceptible to stress and its health consequences, we see that they may also benefit more from exercise and its stress-modulating effects. It’s inspiring”says the author of the study, Dr. Carmel Choi, clinical psychologist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

However, scientists do not undertake to say unequivocally that it is sports that affect the body in this way. The reason for the caution in the findings is that they were participant observation rather than a randomized trial.

We remind you that scientists are in the treatment of depression discovered physical activity as effective as therapy.