The Effects of Academic Stress on Force Output

Mark Morozumi, Voon Chi Chia, Stephanie Gee, Nicole Laskosky, Angie Wei
Advised by: Courtney Jensen, PhD
Phi Epsilon Kappa, Eta Kapa Chapter, Department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences,
University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
ABSTRACT
Student-athletes are required to simultaneously perform in the classroom and on the field. The
accumulation of stress owing to their balancing of these demands may affect physiological
functioning. The possible relationship between stress and athletic performance is not exclusive to
student-athletes; it may also affect regularly active students who wish to maintain their fitness.
Exercise may be an effective way to mitigate stress, but maintaining a good fitness level can be an
issue if academic stress is causing the individual to be unable to physically perform. In this study,
we evaluated force output (measured as ftlb of torque) of both student-athletes and non-athletes.
Baseline data were collected at the beginning of the semester (low stress state) and compared to
follow-up data collected during midterms (high stress state). We compared how changes in stress
levels affected changes in skeletal muscle performance. The findings in this study have the
potential to bring awareness to the issue and consequences that stress has on both student-athletes
and physically active non-student athletes.
.

PURPOSE

RESULTS
Gender Age

LE
Major Course
Injuries
Credits

BMI

Sleep Jobs
Job
Sport
(2)
[hrs/wk] Participation
[hrs]

IM
Sports

Club

D1 W/o
Scholarship

D1 W/
Scholarship

13

20

16.539 23.0390

2.385

2.231

2.308

2.615

3.231

3.077

2.462

10

10

20

15.900

2.400

2.300

2.600

2.800

3.000

2.600

2.700

FEMALE
24.160

MALE

Table 1. Demographics
Overall, men and women did not exhibit significant differences in peak torque (p = 0.0820). There were no differences between men and women in
the amount of time it took to reach peak torque (p = 0.391). On average, across all tests, it took subjects and average of 0.580 0.120 seconds to
reach peak torque. There were no differences between men and women in the duration that peak torque was held (p = 0.228).
Gender

Sum Peak Torque Flex and Ext

The purpose of this study was to determine if self-perceived stress levels affect skeletal muscle
functioning in college-aged students.

METHODS

Ex/Wk Ex/Wk Duration Duration Sleep

(1)
(2) (1) [hrs] (2) [hrs] (1)
[hrs]

Mean

SD

Average Time to Peak Torque Overall CYBEX Duration of Peak Torque Ave
Overall
Mean
SD
Mean
SD

Male

10

257.457

68.922

0.554

0.0968

0.0533

0.00513

Female

13

213.492

26.609

0.599

0.136

0.0595

0.0109

Our population consisted of male (n=x) and female (n=y) undergraduate students at University of
the Pacific. In order to reach a broader demographic, we included students from all graduating
classes and majors in this study. We used the Cybex machine to identify torque output on the
extensors and flexors in each leg. We adjusted the subjects to the Cybex machine in a way that
would make flexing and extending their leg most optimal. Then we instructed the students to do
two rounds of 5 reps of extending and flexing. The students used the first round as a warm up and
the second round for maximum exertion. Subjects were tested twice within the two week testing
period; the second test was performed when the subjects were overloaded with midterms. Each
subject also answered a psychological stress questionnaire that measures stress. Before the Cybex
test, we recorded each subjects height, weight, gender, age, BMI, major, academic load,
frequency and duration of exercise per week, amount of sleep per night, and history of injury. Jobs
and extracurricular sport engagement (intramural and club) were also considered. Data collected
were peak torque, time to peak torque, and we found that duration peak torque was maintained.
Once all data were collected, we compared the peak torque between the two tests to find any
correlation. The 10 questions on the psychological questionnaire addressed how an individual
responded to stress and how they are. Subjects answered numerically on a scale of 1-4; answers
were summed to obtain a total stress value. Subjects completed the questionnaire during each
testing session. Statistical methods used were ANOVA We addressed ethical concerns by
deidentifying all subjects in the database. ((You have to mention inclusionary/exclusionary
criteria. Exclusionary criteria include a history of lower limb injury that would affect performance
on the Cybex dynamometer.

We found no significant relationship between change in psychological test scores, change in peak torque scores (p = 0.992), or the duration peak
torque was held (p = 0.972).

Limitations

This model (F=9.392, p=0.001) explains about 48% of the variance in the change score of time to peak torque. According to the model, with each
point that the Overall Psych Score increases, a decrease of 0.009 (95% CI: -0.014 to -0.003) in the time it takes to reach peak torque is predicted.

Error may have also occurred if the subjects answered each questionnaire in a different manner.
Subjects answered the questionnaires prior to both sets of testing to ensure that physical stress from
the cybex would not affect the answers and combine the psychological and physical factors in the
study.

FUTURE RESEARCH
We are generalizing from a small sample of recreationally active college undergraduates with few
student-athletes. Future research should apply our purpose to a larger pool of student athletes.
Furthermore, research on stress related rate of force production impacts is limited (for the time
being), so more research should be conducted in order to verify our findings.

We did however find a relationship between change scores of overall psychological stress and rate of force production (p = 0.026). We ran a
multiple linear regression, using the change in overall psychological score and sport participation as the independents.
Model
1

R
0.696a

R Square
0.484

Adjusted R Square
0.433

Model

Sum of Squares

Df

Mean Square

Sig.

1 Regression Residual Total

0.053
0.056
0.109

2
20
22

0.026
0.003

9.392

0.001B

Model

Unstandardized Coefficients
B

Std. Error

(Constant)

-0.200

0.015

Change in Overall
Psych Score

-0.009

0.003

Intramural or Club
Sport Participation

0.074

0.023

Standardized Coefficient

Sig.

Beta

95% Confidence
Interval for B

Collinearity
Statistics

-1.291

0.211

Lower
Bound
-0.052

Upper
Bound
0.012

Tolerance

-0.524

-3.242

0.004

-0.014

-0.003

0.986

3.239

3.239

0.004

0.026

0.121

0.986

CONCLUSION
While we found that mental stress has no significant impact on an individuals peak torque output or duration peak torque is held, we found that
stress does have an inverse relationship with the time it takes to achieve peak torque. Mental stresses experienced by university students and
athletes may not be as detrimental as once assumed since our findings suggest that an increase in stress increases the rate that force is generated.
For athletes, this may mean an enhancement of performance as the rate of force generation is significant in fast, forceful muscle contractions,
which is beneficial for athletes such as sprinters and boxers (Aagaard, Simonsen, Andersen, Magnusson, & Dyhre-Poulsen, 2002).