WOMEN who take strenuous exercise are more likely than men to benefit psychologically from their exertions, according to an American research team. While women generally feel positive after they exercise till they drop, men who do the same appear not to get a similar feel-good factor unless they are already reasonably fit.
The idea that exercise can lift depression is well established. The more vigorous the physical activity, say the exercise evangelists, the stronger the feel-good factor. But scientific tests of the psychological benefits of physical activity have focused mostly on moderately strenuous exercise. Recent research has shown that top athletes who persistently overtrain can become mentally run down (This Week, 25 February), but the psychological effects of exhausting exercise on lesser mortals are little known.
"We were really surprised to find that reports of the effects of maximal exercise on mood are limited to one single study in men," ...
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