Is Resilience Associated With Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Measures of Anxiety Post-Acute Stress Task?: Fitness’s Correlation with Decreased Somatic & Cognitive Anxiety

Cardiorespiratory fitness, a physiological health variable, is associated with mental health. However, not many studies have looked at a psychological characteristic’s association with cardiorespiratory fitness and mental health. Aim: examine the nature of the relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness, resilience, and somatic & cognitive anxiety measures post-acute stress task. Study: 458 (61.8% female, 66.4% Caucasian, and median age was 19.5 years [SD=1.25]). Participants completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) questionnaire, 10-minute baseline-period, and a 4-minute acute psychological stress task. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were monitored throughout the baseline and stress task. Post-stress task, participants completed the Immediate Anxiety Measurement Scale (IAMS). Cardiorespiratory fitness in METS was estimated utilizing the Jurca formula, ((gender) x 2.77) - ((age) x 0.10) - ((BMI) x 0.17) - ((resting heart rate x 0.03) + (physical activity score) + 18.07. Significant relationships were found among all three measures of cardiorespiratory fitness, resiliency, and somatic & cognitive anxiety. Cardiorespiratory fitness was positively correlated with both cognitive and somatic anxiety impact (r =.245, p = 0.010; r =.200, p = 0.010, respectively) and was negatively correlated with both cognitive and somatic anxiety intensity (r = -.253, p = 0.010; r= -.248, p = 0.010, respectively).Cardiorespiratory fitness was positively correlated with resiliency (r =.222, p = 0.010). Also, resiliency was positively correlated with both cognitive and somatic anxiety impact (r =.200, p = 0.010; r =.171, p = 0.010, respectively) and was negatively correlated with both cognitive and somatic anxiety intensity (r = -.214, p = 0.010; r= -.179, p = 0.010, respectively). Results provide strong support towards the conclusion that all three variables are associated with one another. The thesis provides evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness is significantly related to both somatic & cognitive anxiety and resilience.