Psychological Changes Following An Exercise Session In Individuals With And Without Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Improvements in mood have been consistently reported in healthy individuals following an acute bout of aerobic exercise. However, there have been limited investigations examining psychological responses to aerobic exercise in individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine psychological changes following aerobic exercise in individuals with and without PTSD. METHODS: Twenty-four (12 PTSD and 12 control) men and women (26± 6yrs) completed a series of questionnaires (demographic, PTSD Checklist Civilian (PCL-C), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Profile of Mood States (POMS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), and McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form (MPQ-SF)). Next, participants walked or ran on a treadmill for 30 minutes at 70-75% MHR and 12-15 RPE. Following exercise, participants again completed the STAI, POMS, PANAS, ASI-3, and MPQ-SF questionnaires. Data were analyzed using a 2 (group: PTSD, control) x 2 (time: pre-, post-exercise) repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: There were no differences between groups on RPE, HR, or treadmill speed and incline throughout the exercise session. With the exception of anger, there were improvements in all other psychological variables after exercise (p < 0.05). In addition, significant interaction effects (p < 0.05) indicated improvements in state anxiety, negative affect, depression, tension, confusion, total mood disturbance, total pain, and the affective dimension of pain for the PTSD group in comparison to no change in the control group following exercise. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to the limited literature on exercise and PTSD, indicating significant improvements in mood following an exercise session in individuals with PTSD. Supported by the Virginia Horne Henry Fund