Does aerobic training improve mental stress tolerance in job situations?

Effects of aerobic fitness on cognitive performance (CP) in elderly persons have been investigated with contradictory

However, these effects have not been explored in occupationally active young and healthy subjects yet. Therefore we studied the effects of an aerobic training on CP during mental stress and in low demanding situations.

Twenty-seven healthy volunteer students performed a maximal bicycle exercise test and 2 computerized psychological examinations at the begin and the end of a 3 month period of individualized aerobic training. The psychological tests were the ''Determinations-test'' (DT), which is a multi-task stress test, and the ''Vigilance test'' (VT), representing a low demanding situation. According to the outcome of the aerobic training 2 groups were formed: those with moderate and those with good training effects.

Results showed no significant differences between the 2 groups over the training period (5 parameters at DT and 4 at VT were n.s., 1 result at VT with p<0.05 was interpreted as a regression to the mean).

We conclude that neither CP at high stress nor vigilance during low demanding periods can be influenced by an improvement of aerobic fitness in occupationally active young and healthy persons.