A PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PHYSICAL FITNESS CONDITIONS AND EMOTIONAL STABILITY
Abstract
Thirty-four male subjects were tested to determine the relationships between selected personality characteristics, physical fitness conditions, and the urinary excretion patterns of catecholamine-related substances. The personality variables consisted of hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychasthenia, hypomania, and anxiety. The biochemical variables consisted of urinary norepinephrine, epinephrine, normetanephrine, metanephrine, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, and the 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol/normetanephrine ratio. The urinary concentrations of those biochemicals were estimated during restful sleep and during working activity. The above mentioned variables were combined with the Ismail Physical Fitness Score to ascertain the relationships between physical fitness conditions and personality characteristics as influenced by the excretion patterns of the biochemical variables under resting and working conditions. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical procedures. Within the limitation of this study the findings suggested the following conclusions: (1) The relationships between physical fitness and personality characteristics are situational when evaluated in combination with the assessment of urinary catecholamine-related variables as biochemical indicators of emotional reactivity. (2) Selected personality measures of anxious depressive conditions, when combined with biochemical estimation of sympatho-adrenal activity, discriminate between high-fit and low-fit subjects. However, the degree of differentiation is situational when evaluated across different psychosocial conditions.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Mental health
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