ABSTRACT
Physical activity has proven benefits for physical and psychological well-being and is associated with reduced responsiveness to physical stress. However, it is not clear to what extent physical activity also modulates responsiveness to psychosocial stress. Here a research programme is presented that tests whether and how physical activity modulates hormonal, cardiovascular and subjective psychological responses to a psychosocial stressor. The presented research allows a better understanding of the preventive role of physical activity in stress responsiveness and can be taken as a foundation for intervention studies in healthy and clinical populations.
