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Item does not contain fulltext, Sport is seen as an important enabler of sustainable development (SD) and a facilitator of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Yet, first-hand evidence on the perception of links between SD, ESD and learning, and different types of leisure sports is lacking. Thus, the present study set out to qualitatively investigate these links in adult leisure time athletes, from their perspectives. Problem-centred in-depth interviews with eight leisure time athletes were conducted. Findings show that interviewees did perceive links between the social and environmental dimensions of SD and their sport, and that these links varied depending on the characteristics of different sport types. Furthermore, the results indicated that sport engagement could be used to promote ESD, stimulating both the engagement in more sustainable behaviours as well as the acquisition of competences for SD. However, interviewees were not very familiar with the concepts of SD and ESD, and SD received very little attention in the sport participants engaged in. There were no indications that sport organisations systematically tapped the learning potential often ascribed to sport activities. Based on the findings, a framework for understanding ESD in sport is proposed, providing future research directions and first practical recommendations, 12 p.

Item does not contain fulltext, In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and agreed that it is vital for current and future generations to pursue 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Science, education, and sport are seen as drivers and important enablers of sustainable development (SD). Yet, even though all professions are called upon to embed SD into their work to facilitate change, and even though sport and exercise psychology professionals could play an important role in this process, there seems to be only little awareness of the need to contribute to SD as a discipline. This paper aims at changing this by elaborating on the reasons why sport and exercise psychologists should care about SD and the SDGs; it explains how psychologists and their clients can benefit from using the principles of SD to guide their professional work and decision making. It will be illustrated how sport and exercise psychology professionals can promote sustainable physical activity and sustainable elite sport, and how they can contribute to the achievement of internationally agreed societal, and global goals as practitioners, as teachers, and as researchers. Furthermore, the normative dimensions of the concept of SD are being discussed.

Item does not contain fulltext, Objective: Exercise is seen as a possible way to manage stress, yet causal evidence regarding the stress-buffer potential of exercise is still very limited. The present study experimentally tested the stress-buffer hypothesis of exercise by examining whether participation in an aerobic exercise training program reduces the detrimental effects of stress on health. Methods: A total of 149 healthy and insufficiently active men were randomly assigned to a 12-week exercise training intervention, a 12-week relaxation training intervention, or a wait list control group. Health, stress, exercise levels, and physical fitness were assessed before and after the interventions. One hundred and six subjects completed all measurements and were included in the final analyses. Results: As the main result, covariance analyses showed that both intervention programs buffered negative effects of stress on general health and mental health; however, no significant buffer effects for physical health and physical complaints were found. Furthermore, regression analyses provided support for the assumption that the amount of exercise participants engaged in functions as a moderator of the relationship between stress and general health; physical fitness was not found to moderate the stress–health relationship. Conclusions: Overall, the findings present experimental support for the assumption that physical exercise buffers the effects of stress on general and mental health. Remarkably, the same effects were found for the participants of the relaxation training program. Thus, future studies need to further examine the stress-buffering effects of different exercise types as well as the effects of alternative stress-regulative interventions to determine which interventions are the most effective.

Contains fulltext : 249548.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access), Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate a potential psychological mechanism of green exercise on perceived stress. More precisely, it was analyzed whether the relationship between the natural environment of physical activity and perceived stress was mediated by recovery experiences, namely by psychological detachment and relaxation. An ecological momentary assessment approach was used, meaning that specific recovery experiences were assessed directly in real-life situations and multiple times. Materials and methods: Thirty five women and 27 men took part in the ecological momentary assessment study over seven days (Mage = 32.30 years, SD = 10.23, 53% had a degree from a university or a university of applied science). If participants were involved in PA lasting at least 10 min on a given day, they had to answer questionnaires on the smartphone both prior to the activity and immediately afterwards. Perceived naturalness, psychological detachment and relaxation were assessed after physical activity events, whereas perceived stress was measured before and after each physical activity event. A two-level mediation analysis was conducted. The direct and indirect effect of perceived naturalness on perceived stress after engagement in physical activity was analyzed on the within- and between-person levels. Results and conclusion: Results showed that the relaxation as a recovery experience served as mediator between perceived naturalness and perceived stress after engagement in physical activity, but only on a within-person level. This means that the more natural a given individual appraised the physical activity environment, the more relaxed he or she felt during physical activity (ß = 0.322, p < 0.0005). Furthermore the more relaxed the individual was, the less stress he or she perceived after exercising (ß = -0.221, p < 0.0005). The psychological detachment as a recovery experience in contrast, did not serve as mediator, neither at the within- an

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Item does not contain fulltext, Previous studies indicated that exercising in natural settings could have more positive mental health effects than other types of exercise. This article further investigates the role of different exercise environment characteristics and compares effects of indoor and outdoor exercise sessions on acute wellbeing and stress levels. A field study with N = 140 collegiate sports participants was conducted. Mood, state stress and state anxiety as well as perceived exercise intensity and the naturalness and calmness of the exercise environment were assessed by means of questionnaires immediately before and after engagement in an indoor or an outdoor exercise session. Results strongly support previous evidence on the beneficial effects of acute exercise on wellbeing and stress levels. Engagement in outdoor exercise did not per se lead to more beneficial changes than engagement in exercise sessions indoors. However, outdoor exercise environments were perceived as more calming and exercise sessions in more calming environments were associated with more stress-reductive effects. Thus, future studies should further investigate the impact of exercise environment characteristics as this could help to maximize beneficial preventive health effects of physical exercise.

Item does not contain fulltext, This study examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (EI) and stress in 110 male employees. Particularly, the association between trait EI and perceived chronic stress, occupational stress, and the physiological stress response was examined. Trait EI, perceived chronic stress, and occupational stress levels were assessed via questionnaires. The physiological stress response was measured by means of salivary free cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV) in response to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups. Consistent with previous findings, men with high trait EI showed significantly lower perceived chronic and occupational stress levels than men with low trait EI. However, men with high trait EI also showed significantly higher cortisol reactivity than their low trait EI counterparts. Similarly, HRV in men with high trait EI appeared to be lower than in men with low trait EI but HRV differences between groups were not significant. Our findings suggest that trait EI might play a critical role in the stress regulation process but due to the cross-sectional design of the study no causal conclusions can be drawn. Experimental studies need to explore further whether and how trait EI affects psychological and physiological stress responses.

Item does not contain fulltext, Evidence on the relationship between stress reactivity and sleep is conflicting. This study examined the association between disturbed sleep and perceived and endocrine stress reactivity independently of age, body mass index (BMI), and chronic stress. One hundred and twenty middle-aged men were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale were used to assess sleep and perceived stress reactivity, respectively. Endocrine stress reactivity was examined by assessing salivary cortisol levels. Regression analyses showed that men with disturbed sleep had blunted overall cortisol responses (b = -18.246, p = .044), but the association did not survive adjustment for age, BMI, and chronic stress. In contrast, poor sleep was associated with heightened perceived stress reactivity independently of age and BMI (b = 0.235, p = .005), but additional adjustment for chronic stress attenuated the relationship and only chronic stress remained a significant predictor of perceived stress reactivity (b = 0.470, p < .001). Cortisol and perceived stress reactivity were uncorrelated. In summary, our study indicates associations between sleep disturbances and stress reactivity were not independent of BMI and chronic stress levels, and endocrine and perceived stress reactivity were dissociated.

Item does not contain fulltext, Introduction: Salivary cortisol (sCort) and alpha-amylase (sAA) are popular measurement tools for investigating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and autonomic functioning, respectively. Despite their widespread use, only little is known about whether lifestyle factors such as regular exercise and physical fitness impact these two salivary stress markers. The lack of an objectively assessed fitness status is a major drawback of nearly all previous studies in this area. Our main objective was therefore to examine the impact of fitness status on sCort and sAA responses to a validated stressor. Method: Sedentary to low-active men (N=115, 45.7±10.1 years, 26.7±3.4kg/m2) were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups and provided saliva samples before and repeatedly after the stressor. An ergometer lactate exercise test provided information on physical fitness, that is, power achieved at the individual anaerobic threshold relative to body weight. From age-specific percentiles, a 2- (n=65 low fitness, n=50 high fitness) and a 3-group (n=37 low fitness, n=49 moderate fitness, n=29 high fitness) solution were calculated to elucidate the impact of different fitness levels. Results: Prior to stress testing, sCort and sAA levels were similar in all groups. While both markers increased significantly due to stress exposure, fitness effects appeared rather small. When applying the 3-group solution, we observed attenuated sCort slopes in high- and moderate-fit men. Although sAA response slopes were pronounced in high-fit men, they failed to reach statistical significance. Mean stress reactivity (area under the curve with respect to ground, baseline, and response maximum) did not differ between groups and no association with fitness level was found. Discussion: Our findings suggest only a weak effect of objectively assessed physical fitness on biological stress responses with attenuated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal but (non-significantly) higher autonomic responses in fitte

48. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Sportpsychologie (asp) (5-7 Mai, 2016, Münster), Item does not contain fulltext

Item does not contain fulltext, Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird der neu entwickelte "Bewegungs- und Sportaktivität Fragebogen" (kurz: BSA-Fragebogen oder BSA-F) vorgestellt und hinsichtlich seiner Validität überprüft. Methode: Als Validierungskriterium dienten fahrradergometrische Parameter der Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit (u. a. Leistung an der Individuellen Anaeroben Schwelle p [IAS] und errechnete VO2max), die im Rahmen einer randomisiert kontrollierten Interventionsstudie (N = 118) erhoben wurden. Ergebnisse: Der Index zur Gesamtaktivität korrelierte mit r = .32 bzw. r =.34 signifikant mit den Leistungsparametern VO2max bzw. p [IAS] (konkurrente Validität); der Index zur Sportaktivität trug signifikant (p < .01) zur Vorhersage der 12 Wochen später gemessenen Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit bei (prognostische Validität); und die Interventionsstudie zeigte, dass die mit dem Modifikationsprogramm provozierten Verhaltensänderungen mit dem BSA-F sensitiv abgebildet werden konnten (Konstruktvalidität). Diskussion: Die Resultate unterstützen–zusammen mit den Ergebnissen früherer Studien–die Annahme, dass mit dem BSA-Fragebogen eine hinreichend valide Messung der Bewegungs- und Sportaktivität möglich ist. Das Instrument empfiehlt sich auch wegen seiner Ökonomie (zeit- und platzsparend) und klaren Struktur (leicht verständlich, einfach ausfüllbar) zum Einsatz in der gesundheits- und sportwissenschaftlichen Forschung.

47. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Sportpsychologie (asp) (14. - 16. Mai 2015, Freiburg), Item does not contain fulltext

Item does not contain fulltext, The present study experimentally tested the cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis by examining whether endurance exercise training leads to reductions in the physiological stress response to a psychosocial stressor. We randomly assigned 149 healthy men to a 12-week exercise training, relaxation training, or a wait list control group. Before and after intervention we assessed the groups' physical fitness (lactate testing) and compared their physiological stress responses to the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups in terms of salivary free cortisol, heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV); the final sample consisted of 96 subjects. As hypothesized, the exercise training significantly improved fitness and reduced stress reactivity in all three parameters; however, it only improved stress recovery in terms of HR. The relaxation program reduced only cortisol, but not HR or HRV reactivity; no changes emerged for the control group. The findings suggest that the cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis is valid for cardiovascular as well as endocrine stress reactivity.

Item does not contain fulltext, Dispositional mindfulness is a construct described as the propensity to be aware of one's actions in everyday life. Although high dispositional mindfulness has been demonstrated to be beneficial for improved mental and physical health, little is known about ways to improve dispositional mindfulness for individuals not practicing meditation or mindful exercises. The study aimed at investigating (1) whether dispositional mindfulness can also be trained by regular aerobic exercise and (2) whether changes in dispositional mindfulness are associated with changes in mental and physical health. 149 healthy men were randomly allocated to one of two 12-week interventions (aerobic exercise or relaxation training) or a waitlist control condition. Dispositional mindfulness and mental and physical health were assessed before and after the intervention by self-report questionnaires. Over the course of the intervention, increases in dispositional mindfulness occurred in the aerobic exercise group but not in the relaxation or waitlist control conditions (p = .018). Increases in dispositional mindfulness were moderately correlated with improvements in mental health. For the first time, this study shows that dispositional mindfulness can be increased through regular aerobic exercise. Future research is needed to identify how the mindfulness-enhancing potential of aerobic exercise can be used most effectively.

Item does not contain fulltext, Objectives: To test the Cross-Stressor Adaptation hypothesis for females by examining whether physically exercising young women show reduced physiological and psychological stress responses to a psychosocial stressor. Design Forty-seven healthy young women with different levels of physical exercise (17 not or rarely exercising, 15 moderately exercising, 15 vigorously exercising) underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G); physiological and psychological stress responses during and after stress induction were compared. Method: ANOVAs with repeated measures were used to compare stress reactivity and recovery between the three exercise groups. Heart rate and salivary free cortisol were used as indicators of physiological stress response, state anxiety, mood, and calmness as indicators of psychological stress response. For physiological stress reactivity, the areas under the curve with respect to the ground (AUCG) were compared. Results: In all three exercise groups, experimentally induced stress led to a significant rise in heart rate, cortisol, and state anxiety; mood and calmness significantly decreased. As hypothesized, the pattern of the physiological stress response differed for the three exercise groups, with lowered reactivity in the more active groups. However, the psychological stress response partly went in the opposite direction: Exercising participants reported a higher mood decrease, suggesting a dissociation of the physiological and psychological stress responses. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the Cross-Stressor Adaptation hypothesis is also valid for young women; however, only with regard to physiological stress response. The unexpected findings for psychological stress response need to be further explored in experimental studies.

Freiburg Universität, Promotor : Fuchs, R., Item does not contain fulltext

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Item does not contain fulltext, Die Rolle des Sports als Strategie der Stressregulation ist noch wenig systematisch erforscht. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird die sog. "Stresspuffer-Hypothese der Sportaktivität" genauer geprüft. Sie besagt, dass Sportaktivität die negativen Auswirkungen von Stress auf die Gesundheit "abzupuffern" vermag. Bis heute ist diese Hypothese noch nicht überzeugend empirisch belegt, vor allem mangelt es an längsschnittlicher und experimenteller Evidenz. In der vorliegenden Studie wird die Stresspuffer-Hypothese sowohl quer- als auch längsschnittlich überprüft: N = 427 Angestellte machten an zwei Messzeitpunkten im Abstand von zehn Monaten Angaben zu ihrer seelischen Gesundheit, ihrem arbeitsbedingten Stresserleben und ihrer Sportaktivität. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen den Stresspuffereffekt auf der Ebene der Querschnittsanalysen - bei Betrachtung des aktuellen Stresserlebens und des aktuellen Sporttreibens - nur teilweise, auf der Ebene der Längsschnittanalysen - bei Betrachtung des chronischen Stresserlebens und des chronischen Sporttreibens - dagegen in vollem Umfang. Die Befunde deuten darauf hin, dass das habituelle Sportverhalten insbesondere bei zeitlich andauernden Stressbedingungen seine gesundheitsprotektive Wirkung zu entfalten vermag.

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