The Effect of Trait Anxiety and Fitness Level on Heart-Rate and State Anxiety Responses to a Mental Arithmetic Stressor among College-Age Women

This study examined the effect of trait anxiety (TA) and cardiovascular fitness level on physiological and psychological responses during and following the presentation of a mental arithmetic stressor preceded by an acute bout of exercise. 300 college-aged females were divided into 4 groups based on their trait anxiety (TA) and estimated maximal oxygen uptake: HI TA/HI FIT (n = 14), HI TA/LOW FIT (n = 20), LOW TA/HI FIT (n = 10), and LOW TA/LOW FIT (n = 14). Subjects then participated in a laboratory experiment consisting of: a) a resting base-line period, b) a 15 min cycle ergometer exercise, c) a 20 min recovery period, d) a 5 min cognitively stressful task, and e) a 10 min post-stressor recovery period. Heart rate (HR) and state anxiety were assessed throughout the experiment. HI TA subjects had a higher HR during min 9-10 of the post-stressor period and higher state anxiety across conditions than LOW TA subjects. HI TA/LOW FIT subjects tended to have higher HR during min 1-2 of the post-stressor period than LOW TA/LOW FIT subjects. In general, the findings suggest that fitness level does not mediate the influence of trait anxiety on stress responses even if the cognitive stressor follows an acute exercise bout.