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Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Sport and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2022) | Viewed by 16814

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Luis Carrasco Páez

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Guest Editor

Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Seville, Pirotecnia Campus, Pirotecnia St., s/n, 41013 Seville, Spain
Interests: exercise physiology; stress hormones; anxiety; depression; neurotrophic factors; neuroplasticity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Similarly to other research disciplines, the Psychology of Sport and Exercise has evolved quickly over the last few decades. Both biomedical technology development and the increasing number of controlled trials are allowing us to face new research challenges and to reach new findings and evidence from a holistic approach.

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is focused on psychophysiological mechanisms underlying athletes’ behavior as well as on the effects of exercise programs on mental health in different populations. More concisely, the topics for this issue include but are not limited to the following: neuroendocrine and neuroimmune pathways involved in stress responses to exercise; effects of exercise-induced endogenous opioids and endocannabinoid system modulation on emotions and cognition; exercise-related neuroplasticity; effects of exercise on allostatic load; genetic influence on motivation and maintenance of exercise behavior; effects of exercise-based therapy programs on mood disorders; effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on athletic performance; heart rate variability and electroencephalography biofeedback training for competitive anxiety reduction; and the potential role of advanced neuroimaging and other “psychobiomarkers” in monitoring overtraining in athletes. The keywords listed below provide a clear overview of possible areas of interest.

Prof. Dr. Luis Carrasco Páez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

exercise
sports competition
stress
anxiety
depression
cognition
neuroplasticity
psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology
HRV
tDCS

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1830 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Outdoor Sports Risk Self-Assessment on Insurance Psychology

by Zhiling Chen, Xinghong Dai and Zhigang Tan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3140; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20043140 - 10 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1530

Abstract

The development potential of China’s medical insurance market is huge, and the research on medical insurance demand has always been the focus of academic discussions. As a result, the discipline of behavioral economics is derived, which aims to explain the decision-making behavior of individual insurance consumption. Among them, the focus of this study was to investigate the influence of individual psychological characteristics and cognitive level on insurance behavior under the difference of reference points. This paper combined behavioral insurance, actuarial mathematics and the econometrics knowledge system, comprehensive theoretical analysis, and empirical tests and analyzed the impact mechanism of individual frame effect on medical insurance demand under different reference points at multiple levels. At the same time, based on the risk self-assessment of outdoor sports, the artificial intelligence of insurance psychology was analyzed. Based on the correlation vector machine algorithm and the theoretical basis combined with the dual perspective of insurance products, the expected utility model was established under the “guarantee framework”, and the prospect theoretical model was established under the “profit and loss framework”. The framing effect was used to measure the relative size of “guarantee utility” and “profit and loss utility”, and a high-insurance-rate model and a low-insurance-rate model were established. The theoretical model analysis found that under the high insurance rate, because the “profit and loss utility” is positive, the size of the individual frame effect is positively correlated with the willingness to insure. Under the low insurance rate, because the “profit and loss utility” is negative, the size of the individual frame effect is negatively correlated with the willingness to insure. The research results of this paper show that insurance is an important beginning of insurance consumption behavior, which includes the complex mentality and emotion of consumers on insurance activities. The insurance demand of policyholders is formed by the joint action of external and internal incentives. Many factors such as income level and education level play an important role in insurance consumption decision making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective)

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14 pages, 383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Psychometric Validation of the Athletes’ Perceived Body Pressures from Coaches Questionnaire (APBPCQ)

by Kaitlyn M. Eck and Carol Byrd-Bredbenner

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16416; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph192416416 - 07 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1119

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a questionnaire to assess male and female athletes’ perceived weight and shape pressure from coaches and establish its psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis (N = 412 in each female sample 1 and 2) provided evidence for 4 scales for female athletes and 3 scales for male athletes which were confirmed in confirmatory factor analysis (N = 260 in each male sample 1 and 2). For both females and males, KMO testing and Bartlett’s test of sphericity indicated that the sampling was adequate and survey items were appropriate for factor analysis. Additionally, all scales for both sexes had strong factor loadings (≥0.65), good Cronbach alpha coefficients (>0.70), and made contextual sense. The magnitude of difference results were indicative of a stable factor structure. Goodness-of-fit indicators were all in the expected direction. Good convergent validity was demonstrated. The questionnaire’s excellent psychometric properties and novelty make it a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners. This questionnaire has the potential to identify training needs in coaching staff, as well as to identify athletes who may benefit from support and guidance for effectively coping with pressure from coaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective)

9 pages, 754 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Physical Exercise and Negative Emotions in College Students in the Post-Epidemic Era: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation Self-Efficacy

by Shaohua Tang, Hanwen Chen, Lingzhi Wang, Tianci Lu and Jun Yan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12166; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191912166 - 26 Sep 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3033

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between physical activity and negative emotions among college students in the post-epidemic era and determine if emotional regulation plays a mediating role between physical activity and negative emotions. Methods: 479 college students (293 males, 186 females, M = 19.94, SD = 1.25) who were under closed campus management during the epidemic period were surveyed using the physical activity rating scale (PARS-3), the self-assessment scale for anxiety (SAS), the self-esteem scale for depression (SDS), and the emotion regulation self-efficacy scale (RES). Results: (1) Physical activity, negative emotions, and emotion regulation self-efficacy among college students were significantly different by gender (p < 0.01). (2) Physical exercise was negatively correlated with anxiety and depression (r = −0.236, p < 0.01; r = −0.198, p < 0.01) and positively correlated with emotion regulation self-efficacy (r = 0.256, p < 0.01) in college students. (3) Emotion regulation self-efficacy was negatively correlated with anxiety and depression (r = −0.440, p < 0.01; r = −0.163, p < 0.01). (4) Emotion regulation self-efficacy also partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and negative emotions. Conclusion: (1) Physical activity in the post-epidemic era negatively predicted anxiety and depression in school-isolated college students. (2) Emotion regulation self-efficacy in the post-epidemic era partially mediates the relationship between physical activity and anxiety and depression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective)

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10 pages, 335 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relationship between Mindfulness Practices and the Psychological State and Performance of Kyokushin Karate Athletes

by Jolita Vveinhardt and Magdalena Kaspare

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4001; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19074001 - 28 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3371

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between mindfulness practices and the psychological state and qualification of kyokushin karate athletes. The survey was conducted using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS-15) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The study involved 371 Lithuanian kyokushin karate athletes (of which 59.3% were male and 40.7% were female; 71.4% of research participants have practiced this sport for 11 and more years and have the 1st dan or a higher belt). The results of the study showed a positive impact of mindfulness in reducing stress experienced by athletes, improving their psychological state, and enhancing their athletic performance. A moderate negative correlation was identified between stress, anxiety, and mindfulness, and while the mindfulness score was increasing, the severity level of depression was decreasing. Meanwhile, the correlation of the meditation effect and anxiety with kyokushin karate 0–7 kyu belt was very weak but statistically significant. The research results could be useful not only for athletes and their coaches but also for sports organizations. After analysing the benefits of mindfulness for kyokushin karate athletes, mindfulness practices are proposed for the effective improvement of athletes’ physical and psychological state when preparing for professional-level competitions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective)

10 pages, 1388 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Noise in the Neurofeedback Training Sessions in Student Athletes

by Christophe Domingos, Higino da Silva Caldeira, Marco Miranda, Fernando Melício, Agostinho C. Rosa and José Gomes Pereira

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13223; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182413223 - 15 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1751

Abstract

Considering that athletes constantly practice and compete in noisy environments, the aim was to investigate if performing neurofeedback training in these conditions would yield better results in performance than in silent ones. A total of forty-five student athletes aged from 18 to 35 years old and divided equally into three groups participated in the experiment (mean ± SD for age: 22.02 ± 3.05 years). The total neurofeedback session time for each subject was 300 min and were performed twice a week. The environment in which the neurofeedback sessions were conducted did not seem to have a significant impact on the training’s success in terms of alpha relative amplitude changes (0.04 ± 0.08 for silent room versus 0.07 ± 0.28 for noisy room, p = 0.740). However, the group exposed to intermittent noise appears to have favourable results in all performance assessments (p = 0.005 for working memory and p = 0.003 for reaction time). The results of the study suggested that performing neurofeedback training in an environment with intermittent noise can be interesting to athletes. Nevertheless, it is imperative to perform a replicated crossover design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective)

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11 pages, 6651 KiB

Open AccessArticle

State Anxiety after Exergame Beach Volleyball Did Not Differ between the Single and Multiplayer Modes in Adult Men

by Vinnycius de Oliveira, Ricardo Viana, Naiane Morais, Gustavo Costa, Marilia Andrade, Rodrigo Vancini and Claudio de Lira

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10957; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182010957 - 18 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1759

Abstract

This study compared the exergame beach volleyball’s acute effects on state anxiety level in single vs. multiplayer mode in adult men. Sixty adult men (age: 21.98 [4.58] years, body mass: 75.40 [15.70] kg, height: 1.77 [0.09] m, and body mass index: 24.19 [5.44] kg/m²; data are expressed as median [interquartile range]) were assigned to play exergame of beach volleyball in single- or multiplayer mode for approximately 30 min using the Xbox 360 Kinect^®. The state anxiety level was evaluated before and after the intervention. There was no significant difference in the state anxiety levels after an exergame session between the single and multiplayer modes (p-value = 0.407, effect size (r_B) = −0.12, defined as small). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the state anxiety levels before and after an exergame session in single-player mode (p-value = 0.516, effect size (d) = 0.14, defined as trivial) and multiplayer mode (p-value = 0.053, r_B = 0.43, defined as medium). In conclusion, state anxiety level after exergame beach volleyball did not differ between the single and multiplayer modes in adult men. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective)

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13 pages, 1846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neurophysiological Stress Response and Mood Changes Induced by High-Intensity Interval Training: A Pilot Study

by Inmaculada C. Martínez-Díaz and Luis Carrasco

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(14), 7320; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18147320 - 08 Jul 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2730

Abstract

This pilot study, conducted in advance of a future definitive randomized controlled trial, aimed to investigate the feasibility of using a HIIT-based intervention to induce neurophysiological stress responses that could be associated with possible changes in mood. Twenty-five active male college students with an average age of 21.7 ± 2.1 years, weight 72.6 ± 8.4 kg, height 177 ± 6.1 cm, and BMI: 23.1 ± 1.4 kg/m² took part in this quasi-experimental pilot study in which they were evaluated in two different sessions. In the first session, subjects performed a graded exercise test to determine the cycling power output corresponding to VO_2peak. The second session consisted of (a) pre-intervention assessment (collection of blood samples for measuring plasma corticotropin and cortisol levels, and application of POMS questionnaire to evaluate mood states); (b) exercise intervention (10 × 1-min of cycling at VO_2peak power output); (c) post-intervention assessment, and (d) 30-min post-intervention evaluation. Significant post-exercise increases in corticotropin and cortisol plasma levels were observed whereas mood states decreased significantly at this assessment time-point. However, a significant increase in mood was found 30-min after exercise. Finally, significant relationships between increases in stress hormones concentrations and changes in mood states after intense exercise were observed. In conclusion, our HIIT-based intervention was feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants. A single bout of HIIT induced acute changes in mood states that seems to be associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Frontiers in Sports and Exercise Psychology: A Psychophysiological Perspective)

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