ECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH14
Background: The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a widely used tool for inducing and measuring stress responses in a controlled environment. In this study, we aimed to explore the effectiveness of a virtual TSST (TSST-VR) in eliciting stress responses across multiple physiological and psychological markers. Methods: A sample of 24 participants underwent the TSST-VR, during which salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase (AA), blood glucose levels, heart rate (HR), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) as a measure of heart rate variability (HRV), and subjective stress ratings (NRS) were collected at multiple time points. Results: In a baseline-to-peak analysis, significant increases were observed in HR (MDiff = 13.04, 95%-CI [8.19 – 17.90], p < .001), RMSSD (MDiff = 17.75, 95%-CI [3.28 – 32.22], p < .001), AA (p < .001, r = 1.07), and NRS (p < .001, r = 1.31) measures following the TSST-VR. While no significant changes in cortisol levels were found in the baseline-to-peak analysis across all participants, a secondary cluster analysis identified distinct cortisol responders (baseline-to-peak rise > 1.5 mmol/l). Within this group, high cortisol responders (HCR) showed significantly higher cortisol (Wald χ²(7) = 118.03, p < .001), HR (Wald χ²(8) = 17.91, p = .022), and AA levels (Wald χ²(7) = 17.13, p = .017) compared to low cortisol responders (LCR). Area-under-the-curve analysis further confirmed a more robust cortisol stress response in HCR. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the TSST-VR can effectively induce measurable stress responses and may provide insights into individual differences in physiological and metabolic stress reactions. The study highlights the potential of virtual stress paradigms in stress research and underscores the advantages of a virtual setting in terms of standardization and economic considerations.
Read CV Eva FellingerECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH14
Introduction: Exercise has been suggested as relevant coping to attenuate detrimental health effects connected to perceived stress. However, research addressing exercise as coping in a healthy population is scarce. Moreover, the adaptive features of exercise as coping is usually exclusively highlighted. Few papers have addressed exercise as maladaptive coping in a healthy population, e.g. connected to the risk of exercise addiction. Thus, the literature base might be limited and polarized, with scarce literature addressing both adaptive and maladaptive features. Aim: The purpose of this study was to review the literature underpinning exercise as coping in a healthy population, including current knowledge gaps. We aimed to highlight key features and themes in the research underpinning exercise as adaptive or maladaptive coping – or both. Design and methods: In this scoping review, we conducted a systematic search in the databases Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus. We used a combination of exercise terms (general, strength training, endurance exercise and yoga) and perceived stress terms, together with coping terms, targeting papers addressing exercise as coping with perceived stress in a healthy population. The data-base search was followed by a reference-list search in 30% of the included articles. Both quantitative and qualitative papers were included. Key information about population, design and methods, and exercise mode was collated. To further exhaust the material, an in-depth analysis was applied, generating codes and overreaching themes in the research. Results: The literature search resulted in 483 papers, of which 80 were retrieved in full text. The reference list search contributed with three additional papers. 47 papers were included in the analysis. We found that cross-sectional studies applying quantitative methods dominated the research. The papers mainly reported from mixed gender populations, addressing general physical exercise. For the specified articles, students were the most studied population and yoga the most addressed exercise mode. Overall, few papers were oriented at maladaptive features of exercise, with one paper addressing these exclusively. The rest of the research emphasized adaptive features of coping or were neutrally oriented. We identified four overreaching themes in the research: establishing exercise as adaptive coping, explaining exercise as adaptive coping, complicating exercise as coping and questioning exercise as coping. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that research addressing exercise as coping in a healthy population portray mainly adaptive features. Qualitative findings about exercise as coping, that can provide in-depth knowledge about the nuances, underlining both adaptive and maladaptive features, is lacking. Understanding exercise as coping is important in preventing negative outcomes related to perceived stress in a healthy population.
Read CV Lone Omholt LossiusECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH14
Artistic gymnastics (AG) is one of the main closed-skill sports where athletes perform as planned and within a stable environment. Specifically, in this discipline of gymnastics, athletes usually perform short routines on different types of apparatus that can be distinguished in floor exercises and equipment ones (i.e., balance beam, vault, uneven bars, pommel vault, high bar, etc.). Despite the stable environment, the aerial actions in AG challenge and motivate the athletes, elevate and enrich the routines, yet they can intimidate athletes (Duarte et al., 2015) sometimes discouraging them from competing in (major) tournaments. Precisely, this study aimed to unveil the differences between floor and equipment exercises in functional and dysfunctional psychobiosocial states (PBS-S) experienced by AG athletes in Italy. Ninety-eight athletes with a mean age of 29 years (SD = 8,03) were recruited. They were asked to think about their routines on the floor and the equipment and reply twice to PBS-S scale (Robazza et al., 2016). A within-subjects multivariate analysis of variance was performed using the type of apparatus (floor vs equipment) as a factor. Statistical analysis yielded significant differences in PBS-S usually experienced during floor and equipment exercises (λ = 0.885, F (2, 96) = 6.240, p = 0.003, ηp2 = 0.115, Power = 0.886). Moreover, univariate analysis of variance showed significant differences both for functional_F (1, 97) = 5.604, p = 0.020, ηp2 = 0.055, Power = 0.649) and dysfunctional_F (1, 97) = 12,589, p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.115, Power = 0.940) PBS-S. In particular, AG athletes experienced higher levels of functional PBS-S during floor routines compared to equipment, while dysfunctional PBS-S seem to mainly characterize routines on the equipment. These results could be ascribed to the fact that, in the case of the floor, the gymnasts own body is "free" to perform evolutions and figures. Moreover, injuries are more frequent during the final part of the exercise —particularly during the so-called “exits” or in the jumps and landings of aerial acrobatics—because these moments tend to be unpredictable, especially when performed on gymnastics equipment. This unpredictability, as well as the use of an external apparatus, which implies an increased challenge, can contribute to dysfunctional emotions. A better understanding of functional/dysfunctional emotions, like the responses to their manifestation, can aid coaches in adopting strategies to prevent the interference of fear (for example) in the gymnast’s performance. References Duarte, L. H., Carbinatto, M. V., & Nunomura, M. (2015). Artistic gymnastics and fear: reflections on its causes. Science of Gymnastics Journal, 7(3): 7-21. Robazza, C., Bertollo, M., Ruiz, M. C., & Bortoli, L. (2016). Measuring psychobiosocial states in sport: Initial validation of a trait measure. PloS one, 11(12): e0167448. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167448
Read CV Selenia di FronsoECSS Paris 2023: CP-SH14