Physically active kids more resistant to stress, study shows

A stronger reaction to psychosocial stress in childhood increases the risk of developing psychological and physiological disorders later in life, the study authors write. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Children who play sports become stressed less quickly, as they produce less cortisol during a stressful task, a new study by the University of Basel shows.

For the study, 110 children between the ages of 10 and 13 had to master the so-called Trier Social Stress Test, the University of Basel revealed on Tuesday.

This test is designed to put participants in a stressful situation. The children had to recite something to a jury after a brief preparation period. They also had to complete a mathematics test in which the task started all over again after each mistake.

Those children who said they exercised for more than half an hour a day were found to produce less cortisol, the stress hormone, during this task compared to less active children. The more active children also reported a lower feeling of stress after the test. These results were published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Positive association

The researchers explained that cortisol levels increase during physical activity. When children exercise regularly, the body learns to associate cortisol with a positive feeling. This positive association also prevents the concentration of the stress hormone from rising to too high a level during the stress test.

The Basel researchers now want to find out whether physical activity also influences the cognitive consequences of exam stress: in other words, whether children who exercise less struggle more with blockages.

These findings are relevant not only for school-aged children, say the study authors: a stronger reaction to psychosocial stress in childhood increases the risk of developing psychological and physiological disorders later in life.

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