Archive for November, 2006
Regular Exercise Plays A Consistent And Significant Role In Reducing Fatigue
Forget so-called “energy drinks.” A new analysis by University of Georgia researchers
finds overwhelming evidence that regular exercise plays a significant role in increasing
energy levels and reducing fatigue.
“A lot of times when humans are fatigued the last thing they want to do is exercise,”
said professor Patrick O’Connor, co-director of the UGA exercise psychology laboratory.
“But whether you’re physically inactive and fatigued, being just a bit more active will
help.”
Health professionals boost regular exercise to prevent or improve symptoms of
conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity, but the scientific evidence
on whether exercise increases or reduces fatigue had never been reviewed quantitatively.
O’Connor, kinesiology professor Rod Dishman and lead author Tim Puetz, who recently
completed his doctoral work at UGA, analyzed 70 randomized, controlled trials that
enrolled a total of 6,807 subjects. They found strong support for the role of exercise
in reducing fatigue.
“More than 90 percent of the studies showed the same thing: Sedentary society who completed
a regular exercise program reported improved fatigue compared to groups that did not
exercise” O’Connor said. “It’s a very consistent effect.”
The study, published in the November issue of the journal Psychological Bulletin,
quantified the magnitude of the effect of exercise and found that it was stronger
than the treatment of fatigued humans with drugs such as the narcolepsy drug modafinil.
Specifically, the researchers found that exercise increased energy and reduced fatigue
by 0.37 standard deviations when compared to control groups, whereas participants
in a previous study taking modafinil had an improvement of 0.23 standard deviations.
Puetz notes that their analysis found that nearly every group studied – from healthy
adults to cancer patients to those with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart
disease – benefited from exercise. He acknowledges that it may seem counterintuitive
that expending energy through exercise would increase feelings of energy and reduce
fatigue, but he points out that previous studies have shown marked increases in the
levels of energy-promoting and mood-enhancing neurotransmitters such as dopamine,
norepinephrine and serotonin in the brains of animals that are placed in regular exercise
conditions.
“We live in a society where public are always looking for the next sports drink, energy
bar or cup of coffee that will give them the additional edge to get through the day,” Puetz
said. “But it may be that lacing up your tennis shoes and getting out and doing some
physical activity every can supply that spark of energy that citizens are looking
for.”
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Original post by nick@itrainer.com.au (Nick)
