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Originalia

Sportaktivität als Stresspuffer

Published Online:March 02, 2015https://doi.org/10.1026/1612-5010/a000061

Abstract

Zusammenfassung: Die Rolle des Sports als Strategie der Stressregulation ist noch wenig systematisch erforscht. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird die sog. „Stresspuffer-Hypothese der Sportaktivität“ genauer geprüft. Sie besagt, dass Sportaktivität die negativen Auswirkungen von Stress auf die Gesundheit „abzupuffern“ vermag. Bis heute ist diese Hypothese noch nicht überzeugend empirisch belegt, vor allem mangelt es an längsschnittlicher und experimenteller Evidenz. In der vorliegenden Studie wird die Stresspuffer-Hypothese sowohl quer- als auch längsschnittlich überprüft: N = 427 Angestellte machten an zwei Messzeitpunkten im Abstand von zehn Monaten Angaben zu ihrer seelischen Gesundheit, ihrem arbeitsbedingten Stresserleben und ihrer Sportaktivität. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen den Stresspuffereffekt auf der Ebene der Querschnittsanalysen – bei Betrachtung des aktuellen Stresserlebens und des aktuellen Sporttreibens – nur teilweise, auf der Ebene der Längsschnittanalysen – bei Betrachtung des chronischen Stresserlebens und des chronischen Sporttreibens – dagegen in vollem Umfang. Die Befunde deuten darauf hin, dass das habituelle Sportverhalten insbesondere bei zeitlich andauernden Stressbedingungen seine gesundheitsprotektive Wirkung zu entfalten vermag.


Physical activity as a stress buffer

Abstract. Few systematic studies have examined the role of physical activity as a strategy of stress regulation. The present work investigates the so-called “stress-buffer hypothesis.” This hypothesis states that physical activity buffers against the health-damaging effects of stress. To date there has been little empirical evidence supporting this hypothesis, and above all there is a lack of longitudinal and experimental data. In the present study the stress-buffer hypothesis was tested on both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal basis: N = 427 employees reported twice – with a time-lag of 10 months – on their psychological health, their work-related stress experiences, and their levels of physical exercise. The cross-sectional results, which took into account acute levels of stress and exercise, are only partly supportive of the stress-buffer hypothesis. However, in the longitudinal analyses, where chronic levels of stress and exercise were examined, the hypothesized stress-moderating effect could be identified. These results suggest that habitual physical exercise exhibits a health-protective effect, especially under chronic stress conditions.

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