Phasic Cardiac Reactivity to Psychological Stress as a Function of Aerobic Fitness Level

ABSTRACT Cardiovascular adjustments to physical exertion are known to be affected by aerobic fitness level. This raises the possibility that the cardiovascular responses associated with psychological stress may also be related to aerobic fitness. This study was undertaken to determine if phasic cardiac reactivity to stress would be affected by aerobic fitness level, and to make inferences regarding the autonomic mechanisms which might mediate such an effect. Twenty‐four males were given a standard physical fitness test and then divided into high and low aerobic fitness level groups. Within two weeks of this assessment, the heart rate and electrocardiographic T‐wave amplitude responses of these subjects were monitored during the performance of hard and easy versions of a mental arithmetic task. Analysis of the heart rate data revealed no aerobic fitness level effect. There was, however, greater T‐wave amplitude attenuation in the low as compared to the high aerobic fitness level group on hard trials. This pattern of results suggests that psychologically‐elicited sympathetic cardiac reactivity is reduced by enhanced aerobic fitness level.