Mood alterations associated with intense physical activity / "Alterações de humor associadas a atividade física intensa"

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2003

RESUMO

Physical activity is considered to be beneficial to both body and mind and evidences that moderate intensity exercise can improve mental health are increasing. Nevertheless, there are also evidences that depressive mood alterations are associated with elite athletes training and that this training can lead to the so called “overtraining syndrome”. This work aimed to evaluate these mood alterations associated with intense physical activity considering three points: 1) characterization of its psychological manifestations, 2) association specificity, and 3) influence of some kind of constitutional vulnerability. Subjects were athletes (N = 56, 30 men – 26 women; mean age = 18,16 years), last year high school students (222, 120 – 102; 17,48) and college students (446, 259 – 187; 22,08). Athletes and high school students were evaluated with psychometric instruments (POMS and PANAS-X) three times during the preparation for the most important competition of the season or for the “vestibular” (Brazilian exam to enter college). College students, submitted to stable and relatively lower levels of physical and intellectual demands, were evaluated only once. Mood states fluctuations and their relation to training volume / hours of study and proximity to competition / “vestibular” were studied. The athletes and part of the high school students, randomly selected, were also evaluated with a psychiatric diagnostic instrument (SCAN). The influence of vulnerability factors over the mood alterations were studied, using previous psychiatric symptomatology or negative affect trait as markers. Results were evaluated according to the three groups of symptoms from a tripartite model of anxiety and depression: 1) a general negative affect factor, which includes nonspecific symptoms; 2) a relatively specific depression cluster of symptoms that reflects the absence of positive emotional experiences (called positive affect); and 3) a relatively specific anxiety cluster of symptoms that reflects the manifestations of somatic tension. Mood alterations were found among the athletes. Presence of fatigue, diminished positive affect and no alteration in negative affect (which points to proximity to the depression construct); association with training volume and intensity, but not with competition proximity; and no vulnerability factors (related to psychiatric history, trait negative affect and profile of affective traits) influence were the athlete mood alterations characteristics. The high school students showed mood alterations too, but with different characteristics: fatigue, increased negative affect and no alteration in positive affect (which points to proximity to the anxiety construct); association with “vestibular” proximity (the association with study volume was non conclusive); and a tendency that vulnerability factors (related to psychiatric history) influences their intensity. Results point to the specificity of the association between the athletes’ mood alterations and the intense physical activity performed by them.

ASSUNTO(S)

affective symptoms sintomas afetivos transtornos do humor. psychometrics affect exercício psicometria afeto mood disorders. exercise

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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