sports 2

• Endorphin hypothesis


  • When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins which interact with receptors in the brain to reduce pain and trigger a positive feeling, often described as "euphoric"
• If we are mentally healthy, we have the strength to overcome challenges that we face in our lives
• Endorphin hypothesis


  Endorphins interact with brain receptors to reduce pain and trigger positive feelings
• It is increasingly clear that exercise can help us to achieve brain health
• Neurotransmitters


  • Endocannabinoids control pain and reward perceptions in the brain, while serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline help reduce anxiety and depression
• Difficult to measure endorphins/correlation issues/self-report issues are evaluation points for the study by Boecker (2008)
• Our mental health describes how we feel about ourselves and our ability to develop psychologically and emotionally
• Endorphin hypothesis


  • Boecker (2008) - Using PET scans, found an increase in endorphins in distance runners after a 2-hour run
• Endocannabinoids


  Produced within the body, they control pain and reward perceptions in the brain
• Maintaining brain health is a public health goal
• Health related quality of life (HRQL) can be defined as an individual's perception of their functions
• Small sample/difficult to measure/can you generalize from a treadmill to different exercises are evaluation points for the study by Raichlen et al (2012)
• Endocannabinoids


  • Raichlen et al (2012) - Found heightened eCB levels after participants ran for 30 min continuously on a treadmill
• Health related quality of life (HRQL)


  • Individual's perception of their functions
• Self-esteem


  How much you value yourself, confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect
• Health related quality of life (HRQL) can be defined as an individual’s perception of their functions
• Perception of life satisfaction is likely to be important for an ageing adult as they enter physical and mental decline
• Elavsky et al (2005): 'The benefit of exercise would be that it will increase an individual’s perception of life satisfaction, this will in turn increase their self-efficacy and physical self-worth'
• The enhancement of self-esteem is often used by those wanting to promote participation, as well as increasing one's well-being
• Psychological explanations of the benefits of exercise


  • Health related quality of life (HRQL)
  • Self-esteem
• Sonstroem (1997): 'Personal development hypothesis: self-esteem is the motivational factor for exercise participation'
• Sonstroem (1997): 'The skill development hypothesis: self-esteem can be changed due to task mastery and experience'
• Dweck (2006): 'Growth mindset is the idea that even the most basic of abilities can be improved through effort and practice'
• In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment
• Benefits of exercise

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
• Chad Rethorst et al (2009) showed that aerobic exercise significantly reduced symptoms of depression and was more beneficial for clinically depressed individuals than for the general population
• Wipfli et al (2008) found large reductions in anxiety between exercise and no-treatment control groups, with exercise being just as effective as psychotherapy
• Dr Lovatt started a Dance Psychology lab
• Dance can improve mood, motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, memory, learning, and spatial awareness
• Benefits of dance on mental health
• Parkinson's Disease information: https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/brain-nerves-and-spinal-cord/parkinsons-disease
• The more someone exercised

  The more their anxiety was reduced
• IVs

  1. IV1: Naturally occurring variable, either PD or control (matched pairs)

  2. IV2: Cycle time used, either long or short duration. Long cycle time= P’s were studied over 12 weeks, short cycle time= before and after one session (repeated measures)
• Exercise was found to be just as effective as psychotherapy
• Meta-analysis of 49 randomised controlled trials showed large reductions in anxiety between exercise and no-treatment control groups
• Experimental design


  Matched pairs & repeated measures
• DV


  Participants' mood scores
• Procedure

  Participants gave informed consent, completed POMS questionnaire at the start, completed mini mental state examination (MMSE) prior to first dance class, attended weekly dance sessions for 10 weeks, danced to rhythmic music appropriate for mild-moderate PD
• Procedure

  Style of dancing changed every two weeks: Bollywood, tango, cheerleading, charleston, Saturday night fever
• Sample: 37 participants (50-80 years) with Parkinson's Disease and age-matched controls