Diferentes intensidades de exercício físico sobre os aspectos psicológicos em atletas paraplégicos

Abstract

In addition to the locomotor and sensory alterations caused by a spinal cord injury (SCI), this population may present several psychological alterations such as increased symptoms of depression, anxiety and a worsening mood state. On the other hand, physical exercise is known for its antidepressant, anxiolytic effect and for promoting positive changes in mood in people without SCI. Thus, the objective was to compare the effects of different intensities of physical exercise on mood, anxiety and depression symptoms in paraplegic athletes. Nine paraplegics (SCI) and nine controls (C) without SCI performed three sessions of physical exercise at different intensities. Questionnaires were answered before and after each session to obtain psychological variables. For the data analysis, the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were used. Higher values of depression symptoms were found in the SCI group compared to the C group only during the day of exercise performed at intensity 15% below the ventilatory threshold 1 (VT1). When we compared the time, we found in group C: decrease of the subscale tension after the physical exercise session of 15% below VT1 and after the physical exercise session in VT1 (p <0.05). In relation to the SCI group, a reduction in the symptoms of depression after the physical exercise session was found 15% below LV1 and after the LV1 session compared to the values before the session (p <0.05). We conclude that physical exercise is related to an improvement in the psychological profile in paraplegic athletes.