The Lab: “Performance Implications of Arousal State in Female Collegiate Soccer Players”
ABSTRACT
Arousal, defined as a blend of physiological activation and psychological awareness, prior to collegiate soccer matches may have important implications on performance. How various arousal states are related to measures of sport-specific performance and the hormone cortisol in and around matches in female collegiate soccer players is largely unknown.
PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of arousal state on passing performance and salivary cortisol in female collegiate soccer players.
METHODS: Eighteen NCAA Division I female soccer athletes (20.2±1.1 y) participated in this study during the spring season. One hour before five competitive matches, the Activation-Deactivation Adjective Checklist (AD-ACL) was administered to assess tension arousal (TA) and energy arousal (EA) using tiredness (Ti), energetic (E), tension (Te), and calmness (C) subscale scores. Salivary samples were collected via synthetic swab placed under the tongue 1 hour before, and 30 minutes after each match. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to analyze salivary samples for cortisol. Passing performance was defined as the percentage of total attempted passes that were received by a teammate.
RESULTS: Pre-match subscale scores (out of 4, {mean, ±SD) for the five competitions were: Ti: 1.9±0.8, 1.7±0.9, 1.6±0.6, 1.6±0.8, 1.4±0.5, respectively; E: 2.9±0.6, 3.1±0.7, 3.2±0.4, 3.0±0.6, 3.0±0.6, resp.; Te: 1.7±0.5, 2.1±0.5, 1.9±0.4, 1.7±0.5, 1.7±0.5, resp.; C: 2.1±0.5, 2.0±0.5, 2.0±0.4, 2.0±0.5, 1.8±0.6, resp. Passing performance for the five competitions was 73.6±14.1%, 81.6±9.6%, 79.1±8.6%, 74.6±8.8%, 76.6±12.1%, resp. (p > 0.05). Collapsed across matches, Ti and C scores demonstrated negative associations approaching significance with passing performance (both p = 0.06, r = -0.28); E score was positively associated with passing performance (p = 0.04, r = 0.30). Collapsed across matches, post-match cortisol was significantly greater than baseline-predicted-values (p = 0.03). Percent change in cortisol pre- to post-match in the first match was associated with E score (p = 0.04, r = 0.72).
DISCUSSION: Higher energy-arousal states were associated with improvements in passing performance. Cortisol response may be mediated by energy arousal. Future investigations should examine mediating factors of pre-match arousal states.
RESEARCHERS
Adam C. Lowe, Neil M. Johannsen, Brian A., Irving, Jack Marucci, Shelly Mullenix, Arnold G. Nelson, FACSM, Guillaume Spielmann, Erik Lind. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, State University of New York-Cortland, Cortland, NY
REFERENCE
Lowe, A., Johannsen, N.M., Irving, B.A., Marucci, J., Mullenix, S., Nelson, A., Spielmann, G. and Lind, E., 2019. Performance Implications of Arousal State in Female Collegiate Soccer Players: 812: Board# 46 May 29 2: 00 PM-3: 30 PM. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(6), pp.199-200.