ADRENALINE AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NEUROSOMATISM, AEROBIC FITNESS AND MENTAL TASK-PERFORMANCE

The influence of neurotic instability as manifested by functional soma tic complaints (neurosomatism) and aerobic fitness on responses to men tal stress and to intravenous adrenaline infusions were investigated i n 44 university students. Adrenaline-induced changes from resting leve ls in state anxiety and somatic anxiety were significantly more pronou nced 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, b ut was not altered by neurosomatism. In individuals assumed to be char acterized by a susceptibility to adrenergic effects, interference of a drenaline-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 d uring the baseline task and the placebo task, but this negative relati on was absent during the adrenaline infusion and was replaced by posit ive relations between performance and aerobic power. The complex relat ions between bodily symptoms of anxiety, aerobic fitness and mental st ress are discussed.