Knowledge of anticipatory stress responses before sports competitions is limited, thus this study examined the relationship between anticipatory stress in terms of salivary cortisol secretion in athletes on the morning of a competition and a comparison baseline day. Thirty-seven athletes collected three saliva samples over a 45-min period post-awakening (0, 30 and 45 min). Anticipatory stress was expressed as Area Under the Curve compared to ground (AUCg; total cortisol secretion). There was no significant difference in AUCg between baseline and competition days. However, a mixed two-factor ANOVA with day and sport type (individual vs. team) revealed a significant main effect of sport type ( < 0.01) and a significant interaction ( = 0.001). Individual athletes demonstrated increased AUCg on competition day compared to baseline, while team athletes demonstrated decreased AUCg on competition day compared to baseline. This blunting response was also observed when analysing the raw cortisol secretion levels upon awakening. These findings suggest there may be substantive differences in anticipatory stress between individual and team sport athletes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2024.100254 | DOI Listing |
Psychol Med
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Background: Motivated behaviors vary widely across individuals and are controlled by a range of environmental and intrinsic factors. However, due to a lack of objective measures, the role of intrinsic extrinsic control of motivation in psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood.
Methods: We developed a novel multi-factorial behavioral task that separates the distinct contributions of intrinsic extrinsic control, and determines their influence on motivation and outcome sensitivity in a range of contextual environments.
Psychoneuroendocrinology
December 2024
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. Electronic address:
The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a strategy for inducing acute psychological stress and increases in glucocorticoid levels. Here we describe the methodology and implementation of a Semi-Virtual Trier Social Stress Test (SV-TSST) which combines the control of a laboratory environment with reduced need for in-person logistical support and enhanced social distancing without the need for specialized equipment. During the SV-TSST, the participant is guided through the baseline, anticipatory, challenge, and recovery phases of the test by an in-person experimenter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Neurosci
December 2024
Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Background: Teaching is a genuinely social and highly demanding task. Drawing on Porges' phylogenetic polyvagal theory with three evolved systems and three associated behavioral responses (social engagement, mobilization, and immobilization), we investigated teachers' heart rate and heart rate variability in social interactions using ambulatory assessments.
Methods: We continuously measured heart rate and heart rate variability of 42 apparently healthy teachers on a work and leisure day with ambulatory electrocardiogram.
J Sex Med
December 2024
School of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada.
Background: The nature of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) involvement in provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is poorly understood.
Aim: We aimed to determine if PFM electromyographic (EMG) activity in anticipation of or response to pressure applied to the posterior vaginal fourchette differs between those with and without PVD, and if the magnitude of PFM response is associated with pressure pain sensitivity, psychological or psychosexual function.
Methods: This was an observational case-control study.
Nurs Inq
January 2025
Department of Community and Population Health, LeHigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.
This secondary analysis re-examined stories of caregiving told by NICU nurses in the southeast US through a trauma theory lens expanding on research surrounding substance-exposed pregnancies. Narrative analysis identified distress-related experiences of nurses related to child custody decisions and outcomes, suggesting traumatic stress within this caregiving dynamic. Four distinct story types and three themes were identified across 23 stories, highlighting similarities and differences and illustrating how distress and trauma were experienced and may be manifested in care practices.
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