Psychophysiological responses of junior orienteers under competitive pressure

PLOS ONE, Nov 2019

The purpose of the study was to examine psychobiosocial states, cognitive functions, endocrine responses (i.e., salivary cortisol and chromogranin A), and performance under competitive pressure in orienteering athletes. The study was grounded in the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) and biopsychosocial models. Fourteen junior orienteering athletes (7 girls and 7 boys), ranging in age from 15 to 20 years (M = 16.93, SD = 1.77) took part in a two-day competitive event. To enhance competitive pressure, emphasis was placed on the importance of the competition and race outcome. Psychophysiological and performance data were collected at several points before, during, and after the races. Results showed that an increase in cortisol levels was associated with competitive pressure and reflected in higher perceived exertion (day 1, r = .32; day 2, r = .46), higher intensity of dysfunctional states (day 1, r = .59; day 2, r = .55), lower intensity of functional states (day 1, r = -.36; day 2, r = -.33), and decay in memory (day 1, r = -.27; day 2, r = -.35), visual attention (day 1, r = -.56; day 2, r = -.35), and attention/mental flexibility (day 1, r = .16; day 2, r = .26) tasks. The second day we observed better performance times, lower intensity of dysfunctional states, lower cortisol levels, improved visual attention and attention/mental flexibility (p < .050). Across the two competition days, chromogranin A levels were higher (p < .050) on the most difficult loops of the race in terms of both physical and psychological demands. Findings suggest emotional, cognitive, psychophysiological, and performance variables to be related and to jointly change across different levels of cognitive and physical load. Overall results are discussed in light of the IZOF and biopsychosocial models. The procedure adopted in the study also supports the feasibility of including additional cognitive load for possible practical applications.

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Psychophysiological responses of junior orienteers under competitive pressure

April Psychophysiological responses of junior orienteers under competitive pressure Claudio Robazza 1 2 Pascal Izzicupo 1 2 Maria Angela D'Amico 1 2 Barbara Ghinassi 1 2 Maria Chiara Crippa 0 2 Vincenzo Di Cecco 2 Montse C. Ruiz 2 Laura Bortoli 1 2 Angela Di Baldassarre 1 2 0 SPAEE, Service of Educational and Learning Psychology, aSacro Cuoreo Catholic University of Milan , Milan, Italy, 3 FISO , Italian Federation of Orienteering Sports , Trento , Italy , 4 Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyv aÈskyl aÈ , Jyv aÈskyl aÈ , Finland 1 Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, aG. d'Annunzioo University of Chieti-Pescara , Chieti , Italy 2 Editor: Luca Paolo Ardigò, Universita degli Studi di Verona , ITALY The purpose of the study was to examine psychobiosocial states, cognitive functions, endocrine responses (i.e., salivary cortisol and chromogranin A), and performance under competitive pressure in orienteering athletes. The study was grounded in the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) and biopsychosocial models. Fourteen junior orienteering athletes (7 girls and 7 boys), ranging in age from 15 to 20 years (M = 16.93, SD = 1.77) took part in a two-day competitive event. To enhance competitive pressure, emphasis was placed on the importance of the competition and race outcome. Psychophysiological and performance data were collected at several points before, during, and after the races. Results showed that an increase in cortisol levels was associated with competitive pressure and reflected in higher perceived exertion (day 1, r = .32; day 2, r = .46), higher intensity of dysfunctional states (day 1, r = .59; day 2, r = .55), lower intensity of functional states (day 1, r = -.36; day 2, r = -.33), and decay in memory (day 1, r = -.27; day 2, r = -.35), visual attention (day 1, r = -.56; day 2, r = -.35), and attention/mental flexibility (day 1, r = .16; day 2, r = .26) tasks. The second day we observed better performance times, lower intensity of dysfunctional states, lower cortisol levels, improved visual attention and attention/mental flexibility (p < .050). Across the two competition days, chromogranin A levels were higher (p < .050) on the most difficult loops of the race in terms of both physical and psychological demands. Findings suggest emotional, cognitive, psychophysiological, and performance variables to be related and to jointly change across different levels of cognitive and physical load. Overall results are discussed in light of the IZOF and biopsychosocial models. The procedure adopted in the study also supports the feasibility of including additional cognitive load for possible practical applications. - Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files. Funding: This research was funded by a grant from the Italian Olympic Committee of Abruzzo Region (CONI, Comitato Regionale Abruzzo), http:// abruzzo.coni.it/abruzzo.html. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Introduction The interplay between emotion and cognition under pressure has recently attracted research interest [ 1 ]. A leading perspective to the study of emotions in sport is the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) model [ 2 ]. The model provides a holistic perspective in the description of subjective emotion and non-emotion performance-related states (i.e., psychobiosocial states). The main dimensions that define the structure of a performance-related psychobiosocial state are form, content, and intensity. The form dimension refers to the multimodal display of performance-experiences in a wide range of specific and interrelated psychobiosocial states. The content dimension involves the functionality±hedonic tone interplay that leads to functional or dysfunctional states for performance perceived as pleasant or unpleasant. The intensity dimension relates to the states amount or quantity. According to the tenets of the IZOF model [ 2 ], past, ongoing, and anticipated person-environment interactions are reflected in a variety of psychobiosocial states. These functional/dysfunctional, pleasant/ unpleasant states are manifested in psychological (i.e., affective, cognitive, motivational, volitional), biological (i.e., bodily-somatic, motor-behavioral), and social (i.e., operational, communicative) modalities [ 3, 4 ]. The relationship between psychobiosocial states and performance is assumed to be bi-directional, implying that psychobiosocial states can influence performance and, conversely, ongoing performance can influence psychobiosocial states. Prior to and during performance, one's appraisals of anticipated and current gains or losses tend to elicit challenge states (e.g., feeling confident) or threat states (e.g., feeling worried), respectively. Performance level is predicted based on the interaction of both functional (challenge) and dysfunctional (threat) states. High prob (...truncated)


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Claudio Robazza, Pascal Izzicupo, Maria Angela D’Amico, Barbara Ghinassi, Maria Chiara Crippa, Vincenzo Di Cecco, Montse C. Ruiz, Laura Bortoli, Angela Di Baldassarre. Psychophysiological responses of junior orienteers under competitive pressure, PLOS ONE, 2018, Volume 13, Issue 4, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196273