Psychophysiological status of men and women in combat sports

Abstract

Aim. The article aims to assess the psychophysiological characteristics of skilled athletes in combat sports (boxing, freestyle wrestling, judo). Materials and methods. 18-23-year-old skilled combat athletes were examined. All athletes were divided into the following groups: the first group - female athletes (n = 15); the second group - male athletes (n = 17); the third and fourth groups - control groups consisted of males and females of the same age and not involved in sports (15 people each). The following methods were used: a pulse measurement, psychological tests, self-assessment of the psychoemotional status, electroencephalography, cardiointervalography with the calculation of statistical indicators of heart rate. Examinations were performed before and after the relaxation exercise, which was a three-minute concentration of attention at a specific point on the body. Results. The results revealed that female athletes had lower indicators of psychoemotional status than males but higher than untrained females. The indicators of psychoemotional stress were lower in female athletes than in male athletes and untrained women. For example, the indicator of personal anxiety in female athletes was 41.0 ± 1.8 versus 47.2 ± 2.5 in untrained women (P < 0.05). In female athletes, heart rate, the amplitude of the mode and voltage index (77.15 ± 2.05) in the structure of heart rate were slightly higher than in males (73.10 ± ± 1.07), which indicated greater functional stress of the heart. Relaxation led to favorable changes in EEG indicators and decreased functional stress of the heart in all subjects. Conclusion. It is recommended to extend the terms of sports training in female combat athletes to ensure a smooth transition to sports specialization and reduce injuries.