The Effect of Acute Exercise on State Anxiety: A Systematic Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Search Strategy
2.2. Eligibility Criteria
2.3. Study Selection
2.4. Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Study Selection
3.2. Study Characteristics
3.3. Role of Modality
3.4. Role of Intensity
3.5. Role of Duration
3.6. Evaluation of Study Quality
3.7. Control Group
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Intensity | |||
Moderate | Vigorous | Not quantified | |
Effective > control | 2 | 3 | - |
Effective = to control | 1 | 1 | - |
Ineffective | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Total | 4 | 5 | 3 |
Modality | |||
Cycle ergometer | Treadmill | Exergame | |
Effective > control | 4 | 1 | - |
Effective = to control | 1 | - | 1 |
Ineffective | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Total | 6 | 3 | 3 |
Duration | |||
<30 min | 30 min | >30 min | |
Effective > control | 2 | - | 2 |
Effective = to control | - | 1 | 2 |
Ineffective | 2 | 3 | - |
Total | 4 | 4 | 4 |
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Author, Date | n | Primary Intervention Time/Modality/Intensity | Control Condition(s) | Comparison Condition(s) | Measurement Scale & Mean (SD) Baseline Anxiety Score | Assessment Points | Main Result | Effect Size |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LeBouthillier and Asmundson, 2015 [18] | 41 | 20 min/spin bike sprint interval/vigorous intensity @ 60–80% age-adjusted heart rate reserve | Stretching | ASI-3 17.5 (13.0) Exercise 28.2 (12.8) Stretching | Pre, immediately post, 3-, and 7-days post | Anxiety significantly lower than control post-exercise, maintained across follow-up timepoints. | Exercise group: d = 0.70 (medium) | |
Broman-Fulks, Kelso and Zawilinski, 2015 [21] | 77 | 20 min/treadmill/moderate @ 65–75 HRmax | Quiet rest | Time-matched resistance training to failure | STAI-S 30.3 (6.7) Aerobic 30.7 (6.3) Resistance 28.5 (7.4) Control | Pre, 5 min post | No conditions significantly reduced anxiety. | No change in any condition |
Meier and Welch, 2016 [22] | 32 | 10 min/treadmill/self-paced intensity | Biofeedback breathing task OR Studying | STAI-T: 25.9 (8.5) PSS: 22.1 (4.3) | Pre, immediately post, and 15 min post | Anxiety significantly reduced post biofeedback condition; no change with other conditions. | Biofeedback condition: η2 = 0.27 (large) Interaction effect: η2 = 0.12 (large) | |
Cooper and Tomporowski, 2017 [20] | 64 | 25 min/cycle ergometry/moderate intensity @ 45% V̇O2 reserve | Quiet rest | STAI-T 38.5 (10.1) Exercising 40.6 (14.1) Control | Pre, 5, and 20 min post | Anxiety was significantly lower following exercise for the high-trait anxious group only. | High STAI-T: η2p = 0.09 (medium) | |
Lago et al., 2018 [16] | 17 | 30 min/cycle ergometry/vigorous @ 60–70% heart rate reserve | Cycling @ 10–20%HRR | STAI-S Values not given | Pre, immediately post | Neither exercise condition significantly reduced anxiety | Insufficient data | |
Mason and Asmundson, 2018 [19] | 63 | 45 min/cycle ergometry/moderate intensity @ 70% age-predicted HRmax | Waitlist | Sprint intervals/vigorous @ 85%HRmax | ASI-3 19.6 (14.6) WL 20.8 (15.7) MICT 22.4 (15.9) SIT | Pre, post, 3-, and 7-days post | Significant reductions with both exercise conditions compared to control group. Reductions were maintained in both groups at both follow-up points. | Moderate intensity d = −0.45 (small) Sprint intervals: d = −0.35 (small) |
de Oliveira et al., 2021 [24] | 60 | 30 min/single player volleyball exergame @ HR of 116–119(17–18) beats per min | multiplayer mode | STAI-T 38(13)—single player 35(13)—multiplayer | Pre, post | No anxiety reduction following either condition. | Single player: rB = 0.14 (small) Multiplayer: rB = 0.43 (medium) | |
Morais et al., 2021 [23] | 20 | 45 min/dance exergame/vigorous intensity @ 75(9.8)% Hrmax | Intensity-matched treadmill | STAI-T 44.8(8) | Pre, immediately post, 10 min post | Anxiety significantly reduced in both conditions at 10 min post; exergame sig lower immediately post. | Time effect: d = 1.29 (large) | |
Herzog et al., 2022 [17] | 88 | 30 min/cycle/moderate intensity @ 60–70% Hrmax | Watched nature documentary | STAI-S: 37.3(10.43) | Pre and post | Anxiety significantly reduced in both control and exercise conditions. | Insufficient data |
Paper | Eligibility Criteria Specified • | Subjects Randomly Allocated | Concealed Allocation | Groups Similar at Baseline | Blinding of Subjects | Blinding of Therapist | Blinding of Assessors | Measurements Obtained from than 85% | All Subjects Completed the Treatment or Control as Allocated, or Intention to Treat | Results between Groups Are Reported | Both Point Measurements and Measurements of Variability | Sum |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LeBouthillier and Asmundson, 2015 [18] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Broman-Fulks, et al., 2015 [21] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Meier and Welch, 2016 [22] | 1 ^ | 1 °~ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Cooper and Tomporowski, 2017 [20] | 1 ^ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Mason and Asmundson, 2018 [19] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Lago et al., 2018 [16] | 1 | 1 °~ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
de Oliveira et al., 2021 [24] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Morais et al., 2021 [23] | 1 | 0 ° | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Herzog et al., 2022 [17] | 1 ^ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
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Connor, M.; Hargreaves, E.A.; Scanlon, O.K.; Harrison, O.K. The Effect of Acute Exercise on State Anxiety: A Systematic Review. Sports 2023, 11, 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11080145
Connor M, Hargreaves EA, Scanlon OK, Harrison OK. The Effect of Acute Exercise on State Anxiety: A Systematic Review. Sports. 2023; 11(8):145. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11080145
Chicago/Turabian StyleConnor, Madeleine, Elaine A. Hargreaves, Orla K. Scanlon, and Olivia K. Harrison. 2023. "The Effect of Acute Exercise on State Anxiety: A Systematic Review" Sports 11, no. 8: 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11080145
APA StyleConnor, M., Hargreaves, E. A., Scanlon, O. K., & Harrison, O. K. (2023). The Effect of Acute Exercise on State Anxiety: A Systematic Review. Sports, 11(8), 145. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11080145