Personality and Its Influence on Pain Sensitivity Based on Different Hormonal Responses to Individual vs. Group Exercise Styles.

Individual differences in pain sensitivity are thought to relate to personality traits, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Exercise influences hormonal secretion via the hypothalamic-pituitary system, which may link personality, hormonal responses, and pain perception. This study investigated these relationships in 14 healthy participants (3 females, 11 males, aged 20-50 years, mean 28 ± 9.25 years). Participants rated thermal pain stimuli and completed the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) to identify their personality. Each participant engaged in personal and group training sessions, with blood samples collected to measure cortisol, growth hormone, and other indicators. Participants were clustered into cortisol hypersecretors and hyposecretors based on their hormonal response. Hypersecretors exhibited significantly lower neuroticism scores and pain ratings than hyposecretors. These findings suggest a potential association between cortisol responsiveness during exercise, neuroticism, and pain sensitivity. This study highlights potential links between personality traits and reactive hormonal patterns, offering insights into the psychophysiological mechanisms underlying pain expression.