Biological Factors
Aerobic exercise has been known to reduce stress, but it has been more difficult to pinpoint the physiological mechanisms that are responsible for the mood-elevating effects of exercise. The most current theories regard monoamine and endorphin systems (Chaouloff) because experts have recognized that being active increases the activity of endorphins, improving natural immunity, the perception of pain, and mood (Miller). The most prominent aspects within this system are the neurotransmitters: serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can affect behavior, sleep, arousal levels, and emotion (Crane), which indicate that a deficiency in the mechanism clearly can negatively affect a person in both a physical and psychological manner. Consequently, stressed people have been found to have low levels of serotonin, and in order to relieve symptoms psychologists try to produce higher levels of serotonin in the brain. In a plethora of studies, exercise that induces a higher heart rate has been shown to increase the levels of serotonin (Korp). By reaching the normal levels of serotonin with exercise, the person will experience an increase in self-esteem and begin to become physically healthier, and therefore, with a high self-esteem, the susceptible that person will be to want to exercise in order to gain the same results. An additional theory is that aerobic exercise triggers the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which effects arousal, alertness, and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (Miller). When noradrenaline is released, it impacts the "fight-or-flight" response, the body's natural reaction to stress, and psychologists have discovered that any type of exercise that exhibits endurance increases noradrenaline. This finding points to aerobic exercise as a logical answer to naturally release a neurotransmitter to relieve stress. Noradrenaline also assists to decrease heart rate, increase the actions of the nervous system by constricting blood vessels in the muscles and skin, and decrease stimulation of the bronchial airways in the lungs to return the body to a normal state of basic daily functioning. This concurs that utilizing exercise regularly, helps noradrenaline work more effectively when the body is at rest, and can help stressed people reduce stress more naturally (Schuster). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with feelings of pleasure, but ironically patients who are experiencing a massive uptake of dopamine in the brain can be more susceptible to stress (Tsai). The roles of noradrenaline and dopamine related to stress are very much entwined in an inverse relationship with each other (Schuster), and psychologists have found that there is a lack of noradrenaline concentrations when there was a severe loss in dopamine (Tong). But as mentioned before, if there is a regular release of noradrenaline while exercising than it will be more efficient in general, meaning that the dopamine levels will maintain a loss balance.
Exercise also creates fluctuations in the concentration of numerous biologically dynamic molecules like the hormone cortisol, which is known to affect mood and is associated with stress. Furthermore, certain data proposes that exercise helps adapt the concentration of neuroactive elements within the central nervous system, like mentioned before, noradrenaline and dopamine (Dimeo). As a hormone, cortisol is produced in the endocrine system, but it is specifically found in the stress system. As stress increases, the levels of the hormone cortisol exist in large amounts, but this cannot be proven to be a one-to-one relationship rather it is associated with stress. This is supported in findings from children who have been abused. Patients with severe stress have elevated levels of cortisol inducing a reduction of stress symptoms. Likewise, high levels of cortisol may lower the density of serotonin receptors as well as damage the function of receptors for noradrenaline. Because the body interprets exercise as a type of stress to the body cortisol will be released, but regular exercise decreases this effect by training the body to have a better response to stress and require less cortisol release. With this in mind, a healthier lifestyle will be set, making people less likely to turn to rash decisions and abnormal thinking patterns. Hence, exercise and better reactions to stress go hand in hand. There are also theories that suggest the hormone cortisol and the neurotransmitter serotonin affect the sleeping patterns in stressed individuals. The duration of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is decreased in patients who produce high levels of cortisol (Lacroix ). For severely stressed, the sleeping pattern is usually deregulated, but another theory suggests exercise helps with normalizing sleep, which is known to have protective effects on the brain (Weir). These ideas point to the healthy lifestyle exercise can create by regulating cortisol levels which in turn regulates sleeping patterns. These biological concepts about the improving effects aerobic exercise has with stress evokes that aerobic exercise, such as running or bicycling, is a suitable treatment for stress.
Exercise also creates fluctuations in the concentration of numerous biologically dynamic molecules like the hormone cortisol, which is known to affect mood and is associated with stress. Furthermore, certain data proposes that exercise helps adapt the concentration of neuroactive elements within the central nervous system, like mentioned before, noradrenaline and dopamine (Dimeo). As a hormone, cortisol is produced in the endocrine system, but it is specifically found in the stress system. As stress increases, the levels of the hormone cortisol exist in large amounts, but this cannot be proven to be a one-to-one relationship rather it is associated with stress. This is supported in findings from children who have been abused. Patients with severe stress have elevated levels of cortisol inducing a reduction of stress symptoms. Likewise, high levels of cortisol may lower the density of serotonin receptors as well as damage the function of receptors for noradrenaline. Because the body interprets exercise as a type of stress to the body cortisol will be released, but regular exercise decreases this effect by training the body to have a better response to stress and require less cortisol release. With this in mind, a healthier lifestyle will be set, making people less likely to turn to rash decisions and abnormal thinking patterns. Hence, exercise and better reactions to stress go hand in hand. There are also theories that suggest the hormone cortisol and the neurotransmitter serotonin affect the sleeping patterns in stressed individuals. The duration of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is decreased in patients who produce high levels of cortisol (Lacroix ). For severely stressed, the sleeping pattern is usually deregulated, but another theory suggests exercise helps with normalizing sleep, which is known to have protective effects on the brain (Weir). These ideas point to the healthy lifestyle exercise can create by regulating cortisol levels which in turn regulates sleeping patterns. These biological concepts about the improving effects aerobic exercise has with stress evokes that aerobic exercise, such as running or bicycling, is a suitable treatment for stress.