Stress
Conditions
Brief summary
Sprint cycling performance has been found to be reduced when two sprints were undertaken 12 minutes apart. In a follow-up study, the investigators found evidence to suggest that some of the loss in performance that was experienced in the second sprint was due to a psychological, rather than a physiological, limitation. It is conceivable that this loss in performance would not exist during a competition. The aim of this study is, therefore, to investigate the influence that a competitive environment has on repeated-sprint performance.
Interventions
OTHERSimulated competition
During a competition, athletes will typically compete for a reward, against opponents and in the presence of others. This will be replicated in the laboratory.
Sponsors
St Mary's University College
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* regular strength/sprint training (at least 2 sessions per week)
Exclusion criteria
* Injured or a contraindicative medical condition
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint Power Output | From baseline to completion, ~42 days | The Lode Excalibur Sport cycle ergometer records power output at 5Hz. Peak power output will be defined as the highest power output recorded. Mean power output will be calculated as the average power output over the 27 s sprint. Comparisons will be made between conditions. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart-rate Variability | From baseline to completion, ~42 days | Heart-rate variability provides a measure of physiological stress. Recordings will be taken at rest, after the warm-up, and following the sprints. Comparisons will be made between conditions. |
| Salivary Concentration of Alpha Amylase | From baseline to completion, ~42 days | Alpha amylase is a digestive enzyme found in saliva. Alpha amylase also provides a measure of physiological stress. Recordings will be taken at rest, after the warm-up, and following the sprints. Comparisons will be made between conditions. |
| 20 cm Visual Analogue Scale to Assess Anxiety | From baseline to completion, ~42 days | The scale will range from not at all anxious to very anxious. Participants will be asked to indicate how anxious they feel by place a clear mark on the scale. Measurements will be taken at rest, after the warm-up, and following the sprints. Comparisons will be made between conditions. |
| 20 cm Visual Analogue Scale to Assess Self-efficacy | From baseline to completion, ~42 days | The scale will range from cannot do it at all to highly certain. Participants will be asked about their confidence in their ability to improve on their baseline sprint performance. Measurements will be taken just prior to each sprint. Comparison to baseline. |
| Sport Anxiety Scale-2 - a questionnaire to assess cognitive and somatic anxiety. | Baseline | Measured once. Correlation will performance. The response for each question carries a score of between 1 and 4. A higher number is reflective of a greater level of anxiety. |
Outcome results
None listed