Research has shown that exercise increases levels of dopamine in certain sub-cortical brain regions (Dishman & O’Conner, 2009; Read & Brown, 2003). Dishman and O’Conner (2009) state that one explanation for this is the release of endorphins during exercise will cause an increase in dopamine. Increased dopamine activity in the brain has been linked to increased risk-taking. Studies have shown a decrease in cravings for alcohol and tobacco after a bout of exercise (Taylor, Ussher, & Faulkner, 2007; Ussher, Sampuran, Doshi, West & Drummond, 2004). Black, Hochman, & Rosen conducted a study to evaluate exercise’s effect on risk-taking behavior in adolescent male athletes (2013). Their study indicates that exercise’s attenuating effects on substance use does not extend to other risk taking behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine if an increase in risk-taking is apparent in male and female athletes and non-athletes after strenuous exercise.
Method:
In order to evaluate the effect of exercise on risk-taking behaviors in a college population of athletes and non-athletes, the current study followed the protocol establish by Black, Hochman, and Rosen (2013) but studied 10 athletes and 10 non-athletes in a university setting. Exercise was defined as participation in a bout of intense, noncompetitive cardiovascular activity.
Analysis/Results:
ANCOVA’s showed that there was significant difference between athletes (m=24.92) and non-athletes (m=42.76), p<.009 on the risk behavior test . Post hoc tests showed that for non-athletes there was also a significant difference for those that exercise immediately before the risk behavior test, p=.003. This was not the case with athletes, p =.683. Results indicate that while exercise increased risk-taking in the non-athlete subjects, it did not have an effect on the athlete population
Conclusions:
This study is inconsistent with the findings from Black, Hochman, & Rosen, 2013 and may suggest that exercise impacts risk-taking behaviors differently in athletes during and after competition. Since Black, Hochman, & Rosen used a competitive tennis match as the exercise intervention (2013) and this study used strenuous exercise, the complex nature of competition could explain an increase in risk-taking behavior as a competitive activity will inherently involve risk taking to win a match; yet non-athletes should be studied in a competitive activity to be certain.