England football fans receive health benefits from the short bouts of stress involved with watching your team win a football match, according to a health professional.
Brendan Street, an accredited CBT Therapist and Supervisor and Head of Charity at Nuffield Health, the Official Health and Wellbeing Partner of the England Football Teams, says the elevated heart rates involved with watching your team win a football match are equivalent to a moderate cardio workout.
While long-term stress is associated with negative impacts on people’s health, short-term bouts of stress can actually have the opposite effect. It is a condition known as “Eustress”, as Street explains:
“A study by Leeds University in 2018/2019 that tracked heart rate, blood pressure, and mood of fans watching football confirms the positive impact of Eustress…if your team wins”, Street says. “The eustress from elevated heart rates was equivalent to a moderate cardiovascular workout – a positive health benefit. Watching your team win also resulted in reduced blood pressure – another positive. Psychologically, a win was found to improve participants’ mood for a period of 24 hours.”
However, the same study revealed that watching your team can have negative benefits – a phenomenon known as “Distress”. Unlike the temporary burst of energy associated with Eustress, ‘chronic stress’, which is typically longer-term and feels unpleasant and outside our sense of control, can negatively impact on people’s psychological state.
“A loss resulted in an extended period of low mood”, Street continued. “The study also found that these highs and lows may be what keeps many engaged in the beautiful game.”
Other observations made by Street included:
- During a major tournament we benefit from a shared sense of connection and motivation. Whether it be with our immediate friends and family who we watch the game with, or the mood of the nation as a whole. These moments provide us with an opportunity for improved relationships, emotional release and a sense of escapism
- Research indicates that in order to benefit from eustress you need to have a good level of fitness before you watch a sporting event. Putting your body under any form of stress when it’s already in ‘poor condition’ isn’t going to help
- Don’t drown your sorrows… alcohol and smoking may be seen as stress busting but they actually stimulate the sympathetic nervous system increasing the stress response and tipping someone from eustress into distress
