The Role of Anthropogenic Elements in the Environment for Affective States and Cortisol Concentration in Mountain Hiking—A Crossover Trial

Martin Niedermeier, Carina Grafetstätter, Martin Kopp, Daniela Huber, Michaela Mayr, Christina Pichler and Arnulf Hartl
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Martin Niedermeier: Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Carina Grafetstätter: Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Martin Kopp: Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Fürstenweg 185, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Daniela Huber: Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Michaela Mayr: Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Christina Pichler: Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
Arnulf Hartl: Institute of Ecomedicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-16

Abstract: Green exercise might have positive effects on health and affective states. Little is known about the ideal characteristics of the natural environment, where exercise is conducted in. Thus, the primary aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of anthropogenic elements on acute stress-related physiological responses and affective states in green exercise. Using a crossover field study design, 52 healthy participants were exposed to two different mountain hiking conditions: An environment with less anthropogenic elements and an environment with more anthropogenic elements. Pre and post conditions, affective states and salivary cortisol concentration were measured. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze if pre-post changes differed between the conditions. Pre-post changes in affective states and salivary cortisol concentration did not significantly differ, partial η² < 0.06. Positive affective states showed significantly higher values post compared to pre-condition, partial η² > 0.13. The present results indicate that anthropogenic elements have a minor role in the influence on affective states and salivary cortisol concentration during mountain hiking. It is concluded that a single bout of mountain hiking independent of anthropogenic elements in the environment is effective in influencing affective states positively.

Keywords: green exercise; cortisol; allostatic load; nature relatedness; anthropogenic elements; stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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