IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v14y2017i8p905-d107866.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Randomized Crossover Trial on Acute Stress-Related Physiological Responses to Mountain Hiking

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Niedermeier

    (Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

  • Carina Grafetstätter

    (Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 22, 5020 Salzburg, Austria)

  • Arnulf Hartl

    (Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 22, 5020 Salzburg, Austria)

  • Martin Kopp

    (Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria)

Abstract

Green exercise, defined as physical activity in natural environments, might have positive effects on stress-related physiological measures. Little is known about the acute effects of green exercise bouts lasting longer than 60 min. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the acute effects of a three-hour green exercise intervention (mountain hiking) on stress-related physiological responses. Using a randomized crossover design, 42 healthy participants were exposed to three different conditions in a field-based experiment: outdoor mountain hiking, indoor treadmill walking, and sedentary control condition (three hours each). At baseline and at follow-up (five minutes after the condition), stress-related physiological responses (salivary cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate variability) were measured. Salivary cortisol decreased in all conditions, but showed a larger decrease after both mountain hiking and treadmill walking compared to the sedentary control situation (partial η 2 = 0.10). No differences were found between mountain hiking and treadmill walking in salivary cortisol. In heart rate variability and blood pressure, changes from baseline to follow-up did not significantly differ between the three conditions. The results indicate that three hours of hiking indoors or outdoors elicits positive effects on salivary cortisol concentration. Environmental effects seem to play a minor role in salivary cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate variability.

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Niedermeier & Carina Grafetstätter & Arnulf Hartl & Martin Kopp, 2017. "A Randomized Crossover Trial on Acute Stress-Related Physiological Responses to Mountain Hiking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:8:p:905-:d:107866
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/8/905/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/8/905/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniela Haluza & Regina Schönbauer & Renate Cervinka, 2014. "Green Perspectives for Public Health: A Narrative Review on the Physiological Effects of Experiencing Outdoor Nature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Martin Niedermeier & Jürgen Einwanger & Arnulf Hartl & Martin Kopp, 2017. "Affective responses in mountain hiking—A randomized crossover trial focusing on differences between indoor and outdoor activity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Philipp Schlemmer & Cornelia Blank & Martin Schnitzer, 2019. "Does Physical Activity during Alpine Vacations Increase Tourists’ Well-Being?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-14, May.
    2. Yunjeong Yi & Eunju Seo & Jiyeon An, 2022. "Does Forest Therapy Have Physio-Psychological Benefits? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Jürgen Schmude & Markus Pillmayer & Maximilian Witting & Philipp Corradini, 2021. "Geography Matters, But… Evolving Success Factors for Nature-Oriented Health Tourism within Selected Alpine Destinations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-18, May.
    4. Ian Lahart & Patricia Darcy & Christopher Gidlow & Giovanna Calogiuri, 2019. "The Effects of Green Exercise on Physical and Mental Wellbeing: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-26, April.
    5. Martin Niedermeier & Larissa Ledochowski & Hartmann Leitner & Helmut Zingerle & Martin Kopp, 2021. "Acute Effects of a Single Bout of Walking on Affective Responses in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.
    6. Sujin Park & Eunsoo Kim & Geonwoo Kim & Soojin Kim & Yeji Choi & Domyung Paek, 2022. "What Activities in Forests Are Beneficial for Human Health? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-29, February.
    7. Martin Niedermeier & Carina Grafetstätter & Martin Kopp & Daniela Huber & Michaela Mayr & Christina Pichler & Arnulf Hartl, 2019. "The Role of Anthropogenic Elements in the Environment for Affective States and Cortisol Concentration in Mountain Hiking—A Crossover Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Ana Mª Pérez Pico & Ester Mingorance Álvarez & Rodrigo Martínez Quintana & Raquel Mayordomo Acevedo, 2019. "Importance of Sock Type in the Development of Foot Lesions on Low-Difficulty, Short Hikes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-13, May.
    9. Arnulf Josef Hartl & Johanna Freidl & Daniela Huber, 2023. "Effects of Alpine Natural Health Resources on Human Health and Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-3, June.
    10. R. W. Salatto & Graham R. McGinnis & Dustin W. Davis & Bryson Carrier & Jacob W. Manning & Mark DeBeliso & James W. Navalta, 2021. "Effects of Acute Beta-Alanine Ingestion and Immersion-Plus-Exercise on Connectedness to Nature and Perceived Pain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-12, July.
    11. Reo Jones & Robin Tarter & Amy Miner Ross, 2021. "Greenspace Interventions, Stress and Cortisol: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-21, March.
    12. Jonah D’Angelo & Stephen D. Ritchie & Bruce Oddson & Dominique D. Gagnon & Tomasz Mrozewski & Jim Little & Sebastien Nault, 2023. "Using Heart Rate Variability Methods for Health-Related Outcomes in Outdoor Contexts: A Scoping Review of Empirical Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-19, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sus Sola Corazon & Ulrik Sidenius & Dorthe Varning Poulsen & Marie Christoffersen Gramkow & Ulrika Karlsson Stigsdotter, 2019. "Psycho-Physiological Stress Recovery in Outdoor Nature-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of the Past Eight Years of Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-21, May.
    2. Martin Mau & Anders Aaby & Søren Harnow Klausen & Kirsten Kaya Roessler, 2021. "Are Long-Distance Walks Therapeutic? A Systematic Scoping Review of the Conceptualization of Long-Distance Walking and Its Relation to Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-22, July.
    3. Rob Roggema & Nico Tillie, 2022. "Realizing Emergent Ecologies: Nature-Based Solutions from Design to Implementation," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-15, November.
    4. Piotr Próchniak & Agnieszka Próchniak, 2022. "Personal Resources of Winter and Summer Hikers Visiting the Tatra National Park, Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-12, March.
    5. David Jungwirth & Daniela Haluza, 2023. "Sports and the Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on Active Living and Life Satisfaction of Climbers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-12, January.
    6. Martin Niedermeier & Larissa Ledochowski & Hartmann Leitner & Helmut Zingerle & Martin Kopp, 2021. "Acute Effects of a Single Bout of Walking on Affective Responses in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-12, February.
    7. Reo Jones & Robin Tarter & Amy Miner Ross, 2021. "Greenspace Interventions, Stress and Cortisol: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Alfonso Martínez-Nova & Víctor Manuel Jiménez-Cano & Juan Miguel Caracuel-López & Beatriz Gómez-Martín & Elena Escamilla-Martínez & Raquel Sánchez-Rodríguez, 2021. "Effectiveness of a Central Discharge Element Sock for Plantar Temperature Reduction and Improving Comfort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-9, June.
    9. Liz O’Brien, 2018. "Engaging with and Shaping Nature: A Nature-Based Intervention for Those with Mental Health and Behavioural Problems at the Westonbirt Arboretum in England," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, October.
    10. Karoline Braun & Daniela Haluza, 2024. "Impact of Biodiversity Loss on Pollen Allergies: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-18, October.
    11. Greig, Abbie E., 2023. "“This family and the Games are my world”: Conceptualizing the British and European Transplant Games as therapeutic landscapes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 337(C).
    12. Reo J. F. Jones & Chloé O. R. Littzen, 2022. "An Analysis of Theoretical Perspectives in Research on Nature-Based Interventions and Pain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-15, October.
    13. Buckley, Ralf & Westaway, Diane, 2020. "Mental health rescue effects of women's outdoor tourism: A role in COVID-19 recovery," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    14. Norimasa Takayama & Akio Fujiwara & Haruo Saito & Masahiro Horiuchi, 2017. "Management Effectiveness of a Secondary Coniferous Forest for Landscape Appreciation and Psychological Restoration," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-22, July.
    15. Sophie Kathrin Schaffernicht & Andreas Türk & Martha Kogler & Andreas Berger & Bernhard Scharf & Lukas Clementschitsch & Renate Hammer & Peter Holzer & Herbert Formayer & Barbara König & Daniela Haluz, 2023. "Heat vs. Health: Home Office under a Changing Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-24, April.
    16. Norimasa Takayama & Takeshi Morikawa & Ernest Bielinis, 2019. "Relation between Psychological Restorativeness and Lifestyle, Quality of Life, Resilience, and Stress-Coping in Forest Settings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-21, April.
    17. Lydia Oeljeklaus & Hannah-Lea Schmid & Zachary Kornfeld & Claudia Hornberg & Christine Norra & Stefan Zerbe & Timothy McCall, 2022. "Therapeutic Landscapes and Psychiatric Care Facilities: A Qualitative Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-25, January.
    18. Martin Niedermeier & Elisabeth M. Weiss & Lisa Steidl-Müller & Martin Burtscher & Martin Kopp, 2020. "Acute Effects of a Short Bout of Physical Activity on Cognitive Function in Sport Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-13, May.
    19. Michelle C. Kondo & Jaime M. Fluehr & Thomas McKeon & Charles C. Branas, 2018. "Urban Green Space and Its Impact on Human Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-28, March.
    20. Tonia Gray & Carol Birrell, 2014. "Are Biophilic-Designed Site Office Buildings Linked to Health Benefits and High Performing Occupants?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-19, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:8:p:905-:d:107866. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.