rss
Br J Sports Med doi:10.1136/bjsm.2007.046011

Perceived anxiety and plasma cortisol concentrations following rock climbing with differing safety-rope protocols

  1. Christoher I Hodgson (c.hodgson{at}chi.ac.uk)
  1. University of Chichester, United Kingdom
    1. Nick Draper (n.draper{at}chi.ac.uk)
    1. University of Chichester, United Kingdom
      1. Terry McMorris (t.mcmorris{at}chi.ac.uk)
      1. University of Chichester, United Kingdom
        1. Glenys Jones (g.jones{at}chi.ac.uk)
        1. University of Chichester, United Kingdom
          1. Simon Fryer (sfryer1{at}chi.ac.uk)
          1. University of Chichester, United Kingdom
            1. Ian Coleman (i.coleman{at}chi.ac.uk)
            1. University of Chichester, United Kingdom
              • Published Online First 14 April 2008

              Abstract

              Objectives: To examine how different safety rope protocols impact on subjective anxiety and self confidence levels and plasma cortisol concentrations and the relationship between subjective states and cortisol during rock climbing.

              Methods: Participants (n = 12) were tested in three climbing conditions that were designed to invoke low, moderate and high physical and mental stress. Plasma cortisol concentrations were collected pre and post climbing and participants reported subjective anxiety and self confidence states for each climb.

              Results: Repeated measures analysis of variances showed significant differences between conditions for somatic anxiety (F2, 22 = 7.74, p = .009), self confidence (F2, 22 = 9.52, p = .001) and change in plasma cortisol concentration (F2, 22 = 3.71, p = .041). Pre planned polynomial comparisons showed these were linear effects somatic anxiety was higher in the higher stress conditions whilst self confidence was lower. Plasma cortisol concentration change was also linear Regression analyses showed cubic relationships between plasma cortisol concentration and cognitive anxiety (R2 = .452), self-confidence (R2 = .281) and somatic anxiety (R2 = .268).

              Conclusions: There is a relationship between plasma cortisol concentration and subjective anxiety and self-confidence states during rock climbing. Changes in the way the safety rope is organised can impact on anxiety, cortisol concentration and self-confidence during rock climbing.

              This Article

              1. Abstract
              2. PDF
              3. All versions of this article:
                1. bjsm.2007.046011v1
                2. 43/7/531most recent

              Responses

              1. Submit a response
              2. No responses published

              Register for free content

              The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

              Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.