Gymnastik- och idrottshögskolan, GIH

Background

Is exercise beneficial or detrimental for patients with stress-induced exhaustion disorder (ED)? While previousstudies have shown the benefits of exercise for various mental health conditions, its effects on ED —characterized by persistent fatigue following chronic psychosocial stress — remain underexplored.This study compares the effects of acute exercise on heart rate variability (HRV) and cortisol between patientswith ED and healthy controls across two exercise intensities. The results could provide insights into how EDinfluences the body’s ability to handle and recover from exercise.

Methods

We conducted a two-armed cross-over trial comparing ED patients (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30). Onseparate occasions, they performed 22-minute cycling sessions at either low or moderate intensity. Wemeasured HRV and salivary cortisol before, after, and 30 minutes after exercise. HRV measures RMSSD,LF/HF, and SD2/SD1 were analyzed. Exercise effects were assessed using linear mixed models.

Findings

RMSSD was significantly lower in the ED group than controls (p <0.05), but there was no difference in exerciseresponse between groups or intensities. SD2/SD1 and LF/HF values in response to exercise were higher in theED group (p <0.05), indicating increased sympathetic activation. This effect was particularly pronounced atmoderate intensity. There were no differences across groups, time, or intensity for cortisol.

Discussion

The findings indicate chronic dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system in individuals with ED, withaltered autonomic responses to exercise, slower recovery, and increased sympathetic activity post-exercise.These results can inform treatment strategies for ED patients.