Abstract

Background: There is evidence that chronic stress/burnout have a negative impact on physical and mental health. Annually global burden of stress related disorders amounts to 300 billion dollars. Conversely, physical fitness seems to have a significant influence on the development of a large number of mental and physical disorders and on reduction of physical stress. The aim of this study was to examine stress related cumulative physiological burden in relation to cardiorespiratory fitness level.
Methods: A sample of 86 healthy males aged between 28-60 years from an international company took part in the study. In addition to questionnaires, an indicator of cumulative physiological burden (allostatic load) was calculated including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist to hip ratio and 24–hour overnight urinary epinephrine and norepinephrine, cortisol and HRV variables (SDNN, rMSSD and LF/HF). All individuals underwent additionally a maximal incremental exercise test on an electronically braked cycle ergometer.
Results: All participants showed high working stress, measured by effort/reward ration. High allostatic load was significantly associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness. Individuals with higher cardiovascular fitness showed significantly lower WHR, HR, DBP and significantly higher SDNN and rMSSD compared to participants with lower cardiorespiratory fitness.
Conclusion: Signs of work-stress related physiological burden were significantly related to cardiorespiratory fitness. Significant reduction of physiological burden could be observed if people achieved more than 120% of age related cardiovascular fitness but not if participants felt below this threshold.