Adrenaline and the relationship between neurosomatism, aerobic fitness and mental task performance

The influence of neurotic instability as manifested by functional somatic complaints (neurosomatism) and aerobic fitness on responses to mental stress and to intravenous adrenaline infusions were investigated in 44 university students. Adrenaline-induced changes from resting levels in state anxiety and somatic anxiety were significantly more pronounced in high than in low neurosomatic subjects and all anxiety ratings were generally negatively related to aerobic fitness. Cardiovascular reactivity was induced by mental stress and by adrenaline infusions, but was not altered by neurosomatism. In individuals assumed to be characterized by a susceptibility to adrenergic effects, interference of adrenaline-induced arousal with cognitive performance may not occur. In contrast, a further increase in performance may occur when adrenaline is infused. Performance measures correlated negatively with anxiety during the baseline task and the placebo task, but this negative relation was absent during the adrenaline infusion and was replaced by positive relations between performance and aerobic power. The complex relations between bodily symptoms of anxiety, aerobic fitness and mental stress are discussed.