Acute Impact Of Aerobic Exercise On Stress, Mood, And Cognitive Performance In Adults With Down Syndrome (DS)

Cortisol levels are sensitive to immediate changes from stress, on being exercise. In the general population, increases in cortisol during exercise has been shown to increase energy and lower fatigue, potentially impacting cognitive performance and mood. This pilot study has helped further expand on how acute exercise can impact mood, while also identifying if exercise affects the cortisol levels in adults affected by DS. Overall, this study aimed to assess the impact of an acute bout of moderate aerobic exercise on stress, mood, and cognitive performance. METHODS: Subjects (n = 5, age:27 ± 8 YO, height:140.3 ± 18.97 cm, weight:63.51 ± 18.74 kg) participated in three total visits; one familiarization (FAM), one experimental (EXP), and one control (CON). IQ was assessed at FAM via Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test Second Edition. The EXP consisted of 30 minutes of aerobic based exercise (walking while watching One Planet) compared to 30 minutes of a non-exercise task during the CON visit (sitting and watching One Planet). Variables assessed pre and post testing of the EXP and CON visits were salivary cortisol, mood (Brief Mood Introspection Scale), and cognitive performance (Comprehensive Trail Making Test). RESULTS: There were no significant changes in mood or cognitive performance pre/post in the CON and EXP visits (p < 0.05). There was a trend with cognitive performance in decreasing time to complete for all individuals for both visits. There was a significant increase in cortisol following participation in 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise during the EXP visit (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Although more research needs to be conducted in a way that further examines the effects of exercise on the cortisol, cognitive performance, and mood of individuals with DS, this specific study found that the stress response results obtained appear to align with what continues to be seen within the typically developed general population regarding cortisol changes. With a limited sample size, this study does help pose the importance in further research evaluating moderate exercise and its effects on individuals with DS.