CARDIAC RESPONSE OF TRAINED AND UNTRAINED MALES TO A REPEATED PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESSOR

The authors examined cardiac response to repeated exposure to a psycho logical stressor of aerobically conditioned (n = 15) and unconditioned subjects (n = 15). Heart rate and electrocardiographic T-wave amplitu de responses of 10 trials of the Stroop Test were monitored during and after performance. Both groups' adaptation patterns were similar, wit h a plateauing of heart rate response after the third trial. Compared with the unconditioned group, however, the aerobically conditioned sub jects recorded lower absolute heart rate responses during and after th e stressor for every trial. Relative heart rate responses during the s tressor and recovery were similar for both groups. There was also no d ifference between groups in T-wave response during or after the stress or. These data suggest that absolute heart rate response during and af ter repeated exposure to a psychological stressor is lower for aerobic ally trained individuals.