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Thomas – PAUSE-Cardio: Moderate-Intensity Exercise Intervention for Women’s Sport Student-Athletes Transitioning into College and Collegiate Sport

 

PAUSE-Cardio: Moderate-Intensity Exercise Intervention for Women's Sport Student-Athletes Transitioning into College and Collegiate Sport (2024)

Undergraduate: Emily Thomas


Faculty Advisor: J.D. DeFreese
Department: Exercise and Sport Science

Moderate-intensity exercise may mitigate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Although women’s sport student-athletes transitioning to college and collegiate sport experience a heightened prevalence of MHIs, little is understood about the influence of moderate-intensity exercise on this population. In this interventional study, four university students participated in a 4-week 45-minute indoor cycling moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise intervention. We measured changes from pre-program (T1) to post-program (T2) in depression, anxiety, and stress, along with retention rates and exploratory identity measures. Depression decreased, while stress and anxiety increased. This may be due to the exam week during T2 and the short length of the intervention. Our retention rate was (4/5) 80%, suggesting possible feasibility within this population. Exercise, academic, and athletic identities increased, and all identities were negatively correlated with MHI. The results suggest moderate-intensity exercise interventions may be feasible in this specific population and emphasize the relationship between exercise, athletic, and academic identities with mental health symptoms.