Stress and Physical Inactivity: A Glimpse Into Decreased Motivation for Exercise as a Result of Stress

As a guest lecturer, Dr. Trevor Buhr discussed his research on physical inactivity as a result from stress, as well as neurochemical implications of stress and exercise or lack thereof. Dr. Buhr outlined how his study used rats as a model organism, and after different amounts of induced stress in the form of tail shocks, the rats had reduced physical activity. Dr. Buhr and colleagues measured this in the form of running wheel distance over nine weeks, with tail shock amounts ranging from 0, 50, or 100 shocks to demonstrate different levels of stress. 

Ultimately, increased induced stress in the rats elicited a decrease in physical activity in the rats that continued for months after the initial tail shocks. Dr. Buhr not only presented the reduction in physical activity after stress, but also associated chemical changes in the brain. Firstly, it was found that dopamine response from exercise was lessened after repeated induced stress, pointing towards exercise being less rewarding for those rats. Additionally, there was a deficit in dopamine production in general after stress exposure, potentially explaining the lack of motivation to exercise. 

From this study, I began to wonder how stress impacts physical activity or inactivity in humans and if there were some similar effects. In the article “People want to improve mental health by exercising, but stress and anxiety get in the way,” ScienceDaily provides a summary on how mental health troubles, specifically stress and anxiety, were linked to a decreased motivation to exercise from polling respondents. Furthermore, it was noted that respondents with more regular exercise routines reported better mental health outcomes.

To tie these two studies together, there are correlations between varied levels of stress and physical inactivity, described in both rat and human models. It is clear to see how exercise and physical activity in general is important for mental health, but it can also be seen as a continued cycle. If stress is decreasing motivation to exercise, but exercise aids in stress relief both mentally and neurochemically, how is it possible to gain motivation for physical activity to ultimately improve stress responses. Predominantly, I believe that this study and summary news article can provide important gateways into learning more about stress-induced physical inactivity and potential motivators for increased exercise to improve mental health. This can be on a larger scale, or even on a pharmacological scale, with aid from Dr. Buhr’s research into the neurochemical properties underlying this reduced motivation for physical activity.

 

 

Works Cited

McMaster University. "People want to improve mental health by exercising, but stress and    anxiety get in the way." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 April 2021                                       <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210412121216.htm>. 

Buhr, Trevor J., et al. “The persistence of stress-induced physical inactivity in rats: An            investigation of central monoamine neurotransmitters and skeletal muscle oxidative               stress.” Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 17, 16 May 2023,                                           https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1169151.