The Lab: “Perceived Energy and General Well Being in Collegiate Football Players With and Without Sickle Cell Trait”
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Sickle cell Trait (SCT) has measurable physiological effects. Whether SCT has marked psychological effects in elite collegiate football players (ie perceived their energy levels, mood state, and overall well-being) compared to position-matched controls is unknown. Purpose: To examine self-perceptions of sleep quality, mood state, and general well-being in Division 1 football players with and without SCT.
METHODS: Participants with SCT were identified by a team physician and confirmed by electrophoresis and paired with position-matched controls (n=12). Assessments included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI), Daily Analysis of Life Demands for Athletes Questionnaire (DALDA), Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List (AD-ACL), and General Well-Being Questionnaire (GWB). Data was collected at three time points; before pre-season camp, after pre-season camp, post-season.
RESULTS: SCT reported higher levels of energy on the AD-ACL assessment than the control group at baseline (13.65 ± 0.68 vs. 11.56 ±0.66, p<0.05). No group*time interaction existed (p=0.20). On the GWB, no differences between groups were found; however, a significant decrease in perceived well-being between pre-camp and post-camp (38.86 ± 1.80 vs. 32.08 ± 1.72, p<.05) and pre-camp and post-season (38.86 ± 1.80 vs. 32.69 ± 1.86, p<.05) was noted across all participants. Perceived sleep quality was similar across all participants at all time points.
DISCUSSION: Participants with SCT reported a greater energy level coming into training camp and had similar perceived energy at the beginning and end of the competitive season compared to position-matched controls. GWB did not differ between groups but decreased in all athletes throughout the season. Interestingly, the post-season survey may be skewed by the win or loss from the final game. The decrease at the start of the season could be due to increased stress due to academic responsibilities or the expectation to perform well and win competitions. Future research will correlate these psychological findings to biological markers of stress and fatigue.
RESEARCHERS
Matt Martone, Shelly Mullenix, Nathan Lemoine, Jr., Jack Marucci, Derek Calvert, Timothy S. Church, Brian Harrell, Guillaume Spielmann, Brian Irving (FACSM), Jennifer Rood, LaKietha Poole, Neil Johannsen
REFERENCE
Martone, M., Mullenix, S., Lemoine, N., Marucci, J., Calvert, D., Church, T., & Poole, L. (2019). Perceived Energy and Well Being in Collegiate Football Players with and without Sickle Cell Trait: 1247 Board# 9 May 30 9: 30 AM-11: 00 AM. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(6).