Running away from stress
Scientists have told why exercise relieves stress
Maria Krivochenko, Naked Science
To make the methods of treating mental disorders related to stress more effective, it is important for scientists to understand how the body fights it. It is known that physical activity suppresses stress and increases stress tolerance, but the neurobiological mechanisms that cause this effect are still not clear. A group of researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine suggested that the neuropeptide galanine, which is produced by the body of some animals and humans during physical activity, will help fight stress.
Scientists have tested how running reduces stress in mice. The experiments lasted three weeks. The rodents were divided into two groups (one had access to the wheel, the other just sat in cages) and repeatedly caused them stress. The condition of the animals was measured twice: after a stressful event and after 24 hours. The results of the experiments are published in the Journal of Neuroscience (Tillage et al., Chronic environmental or genetic elevation of galanin in noradrenergic neurons conferences stress resilience in mice).
It turned out that the mice who had the opportunity to run in the wheel were much calmer than the rodents from the second group. During exercise, their brains began to actively produce the neuropeptide galanin, which affects mood, fights anxiety and mental disorders associated with stress. Scientists found an increased level of galanin in the blue spot, an area of the brain that is involved in the body's response to stress. At a critical moment, the production of neuropeptide in it decreases, which reduces stress resistance and makes it react to negative events more strongly.
In addition, in the third week, mice that had been doing a lot became more stress-resistant. The amount of time they spent training in the third week correlated with the amount of galanin in the blue spot.
This allowed us to prove that sport not only fights stress, but also increases resistance to it in the future. The scientists added that the increased level of galanin did not change other aspects of the animal's behavior. As the authors of the work suggest, it can actively accumulate only during severe stress.
This is not the first study focused on the role of exercise and galanin in the fight against stress. However, all previous experiments were carried out on rats, so scientists did not know whether the connection between neuropeptide and training was manifested only in one kind of rodent. Current research shows that it is characteristic of different animals. And the authors are sure that in the future they will be able to detect a similar mechanism in humans.
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