The Effect of Physical Activity on the Stress Caused by the Corona Pandemic in Middle Aged Women: Investigation of Cortisol and Beta Endorphin Changes

Volume 2, Issue 2
Summer 2022
Pages 58-66

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Physical education, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Physical education, Faculty of Social Sciences, Emam Khomeini International University, Ghazvin, Iran

Abstract
As Corona pandemic start, stress reigned over the society. The present study has investigated the effect of physical activity on cortisol hormone levels as an indicator of stress and beta-endorphin. so, one year after pandemic start, 30 volunteer middle-aged women (42±2.23 y (who didn’t exercise for a year were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly divided into two groups of 15 people to exercise and control groups. After the assessment of the basic levels of two variables and physical performance (in 3 tests of one-minute sitting and standing on a chair, pull up lying and plank), the training group participated in virtual physical activity at home for 12 weeks and the control group continued their normal life. The training protocol includes functional physical activities, three days a week, with an intensity of 60-85% of the maximum heart rate.  Re-sampling of blood to check cortisol and beta-endorphin changes was done 48 hours after the last training session and sent to the laboratory. Independent t-test was used to examine between-group changes of variables. The results of 2*2 mixed MANOVA showed the significant decrease of cortisol and significant increase beta-endorphin in exercise group after 12 weeks of practical exercises at home and significant between-groups differences (p<0.0001). As a result, the re-implementation of regular physical activity has improved the levels of cortisol and beta-endorphin hormones during the Corona.

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Subjects
  • Receive Date 29 June 2022
  • Revise Date 10 September 2022
  • Accept Date 19 September 2022