title: Quality of life, cortisol blood levels and exercise in older adults: results of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cortisol plays a central role in the stress response; while high stress can determine physical and psychological impairment, moderate stress, with a mild increase in cortisol level, may have a positive effect on coping and physical performance. This trial attempted to determine whether cortisol levels were associated with Quality of Life (QoL) in a sample of elderly subjects undertaking an exercise program.
  
  
  METHODS
  42 subjects aged ≥65 years were randomlyassigned in a 1:1 fashion either to a vigorous physical activity (VAG: N=21) or to a postural gimnastic group (PGG: N=21). Differences between the two groups in QoL (on SF-12), and blood cortisol levels were assessed by ANOVA at different times.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both the VAG and PGG, cortisol levels rose at the end of the trial, with statistically significant differences as compared to the baseline. QoL at the end of the trial was higher than in the national normative sample. Cortisol and QoL in both groups decreased slightly 12 weeks after the end of the trial (T2); however, only in the VAG did the difference from the initial level remain statistically significant. At T1 and T2, subjects with higher SF-12 scores were found in subsamples in both groups with cortisol levels moderately increased (between 200 and 300 mg/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a sample of elderly subjects undergoing two different kinds of exercise, a better perception of Quality of Life was associated with a moderate, non-pathological increase in cortisol. The results need to be confirmed by trials on larger samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gioia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mura
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cossu
authors.affiliation: CONI Italian Olympic Committee, Sardinia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Migliaccio
authors.affiliation: CMT Medical Analysis Laboratory, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atzori
authors.affiliation: Panic and Respiration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IPUB/UFRJ), Brazil; National Institute of Translational Medicine (INCT-TM).
authors.forename: Antonio E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.affiliation: Panic and Respiration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (IPUB/UFRJ), Brazil; National Institute of Translational Medicine (INCT-TM) ; Physical Activity Neuroscience Laboratory (LABNAF), Physical Activity Sciences Postgraduate Program of Salgado de Oliveira University (PPGCAF/UNIVERSO), Niterói, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Carta
keywords: Cortisol; elderly; exercise; quality of life.