Psychophysiological changes in uphill runners

Abstract

The increasing popularity of street racing combined with the psychophysical demands of racing competitions present new challenges for sports mental health. The objective of this study was to investigate psychophysiological changes after an uphill race. Twenty-three runners were recruited, eleven men (35 ± 5.6 years; 1.7 ± 0.2 m; 76.6 ± 10 kg; 11.5 ± 4.5% fat) and twelve women (39 ± 9.2 years; 1.61 ± 0.1 m; 58.8 ± 3.8 kg; 20.1 ± 3.1% fat), who participated in an uphill race (distance 24.6 km, altimetry 2142 m, slope 11%, temperature 13°C, humidity 97%). Every runner was submitted to evaluations, physiological, muscular strength and mental health, before and after of the race. After an uphill race, there was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in muscle resistance (22%), power (27%) and force (30%). There was a significant increase (p< 0.05) in lactate levels (100%) and perceived effort (200%). Regarding mental health, there was a reduction (p<0.05) in anxiety (competitive 10% and trace 40%) and a significant increase (p< 0.05) in self-esteem (29%) and Happiness (43%). We conclude that after an uphill race there is a significant increase in the alterations in the psychophysiology, improving the mental health of runners.