Physical activity and cold pain tolerance in the general population

Area of Science:

• Pain research
• Exercise science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Previous studies on physical activity (PA) and pain tolerance used small samples.
• The relationship between habitual PA and experimental pain tolerance requires investigation in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between habitual physical activity and experimental pain tolerance in a large, population-based sample.
• To investigate potential sex and chronic pain status differences in this relationship.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Tromsø Study (2007-2016) with 19,087 participants.
• Assessed pain tolerance using the cold pressor test (CPT) and self-reported habitual PA.
• Employed Cox regression, analyzing interactions for PA with sex and chronic pain status.

Main Results:

• Leisure-time PA, exercise intensity, and duration were positively associated with CPT pain tolerance.
• Men exhibited significantly higher CPT tolerance than women at high PA levels.
• Accelerometer-measured PA showed no association with CPT tolerance.

Conclusions:

• Higher self-reported habitual PA is associated with increased experimental pain tolerance in a population-based sample, especially in men.
• A discrepancy exists between self-reported and accelerometer-measured PA regarding pain tolerance.
• Findings suggest physical activity may enhance pain tolerance in the general population.