Effect of Exercise with Mental Stress on Cortisol and Alpha-Amylase Changes in Young Men

Background: Physiological stress due to physical activity associated with mental stress can affect the responses of the sympathoadrenal axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of exercise with mental stress on cortisol and alpha-amylase changes in young men. Methods: In a quasi-experimental study, 20 inactive healthy men were randomly selected and divided into two groups of exercise and exercise with mental stress. The exercise group pedaled on a fixed bike at an intensity of 60% of maximal aerobic power for 37 minutes and the exercise group with mental stress received 20 minutes of mental stress (from 12th minutes to 32nd minutes) during the 37 minutes of pedaling. Salivary samples were collected before and immediately after the end of the exercise. Results: The exercise had a significant effect on increasing salivary cortisol (P = 0.007) and alpha-amylase (P = 0.01). Exercise with mental stress had a significant effect on salivary cortisol (P = 0.004) and alpha-amylase (P = 0.04). The exercise and exercise with mental stress had the same effects on increasing salivary cortisol (P = 0.42) and alpha-amylase (P = 0.83). Conclusions: It seems that exercise and exercise with mental stress have the same effects on increasing salivary cortisol and alphaamylase levels.