Heart rate variability, salivary cortisol and competitive state anxiety responses during pre-competition and pre-training moments.

The study aimed to investigate physiological and psychological states prior to competition and prior to training in three different demanding activities. Eighteen canoe athletes, 18 street runners and 18 jiu-jitsu fighters were included in this study (n=54). The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2), salivary cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured at two time points (pre-training and pre-competition). Somatic anxiety (F1,42 = 15.29, p = 0.0003), HRV (F1,42 = 23.24, p < 0.0001) and salivary cortisol (F1,42 = 22.96, p < 0.0001) were significantly greater at the pre-competition measurement point than at the pre-training point, but without a main effect of the type of athlete on these variables. A main effect of the type of athlete was found on somatic anxiety (F2,42 = 6.58, p = 0.0033), cognitive anxiety (F2,42 = 10.69, p = 0.0002) and self-confidence (F2,42 = 5.42, p = 0.0080). Correlations between most CSAI-2 and physiological parameters were not significant (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicated that both emotional indices and psychophysiological indices of stress are higher before competition than before training, with differences between emotional states between these sports. Although correlations between emotional states and psycho-physiological states before competition and before training were largely non-significant, these findings reinforce the importance of psychological monitoring of athletes in association with traditional physiological markers such as cortisol and HRV in sportive training programmes as complementary resources to improve both competition performance and the training routine.

Mini-trampoline enhances cardiovascular responses during a stationary running exergame in adults.

A new class of video game called exergame (EXG) has been used to promote physical activity and cardiovascular fitness, but EXGs are not as efficient as traditional aerobic exercises. However, auxiliary tools, such as the mini trampoline (MT), may enhance the physiological responses obtained by the EXG. The aim of this study was to compare the metabolic and cardiovascular responses of a stationary running EXG with and without an MT. Nineteen healthy males performed a treadmill test for the determination of VO2max and HRmax. In sequence, the VO2, HR, and METs were measured during the Free Run, a Nintendo Wii's stationary running EXG, according to two distinct protocols. One protocol used the traditional EXG (EXG-PT), and the other protocol used an MT during the EXG (MT-PT). The normalized data were analyzed by statistical software SPSS 20.0 using a t-test and ANOVA for repeated measures (p < 0.05). The results supported that stationary running EXG performed on an MT showed an increased intensity, in all variables analyzed, when compared with the traditional EXG. Furthermore, the MT-PT was classified as a vigorous-intensity exercise and EXG-PT as a moderate to vigorous intensity exercise. In conclusion, these findings support that the MT is a feasible auxiliary tool to enhance physiologic responses during a stationary running EXG.