Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia
IntroductionThe study investigates the effects of Rapid Weight Loss (RWL) on the levels of psychological resilience and mechanical pain sensitivity in elite kickboxers. The primary aim was to examine changes in psychological resilience subdimensions and pressure pain threshold (PPT) values in the th...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1545048/full |
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| author | Esin Çağla Çağlar Levent Ceylan Sermin Ağralı Ermiş Furkan Çamiçi Murat Eliöz Recep Nur Uzun Güner Çiçek Muhammet Kusan Mustafa Tolga Bayraktar Fatma Neşe Şahin Hamza Küçük |
| author_facet | Esin Çağla Çağlar Levent Ceylan Sermin Ağralı Ermiş Furkan Çamiçi Murat Eliöz Recep Nur Uzun Güner Çiçek Muhammet Kusan Mustafa Tolga Bayraktar Fatma Neşe Şahin Hamza Küçük |
| author_sort | Esin Çağla Çağlar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe study investigates the effects of Rapid Weight Loss (RWL) on the levels of psychological resilience and mechanical pain sensitivity in elite kickboxers. The primary aim was to examine changes in psychological resilience subdimensions and pressure pain threshold (PPT) values in the thoracolumbar region before and after a one-month RWL period leading up to competition. Hypotheses included expectations of significant reductions in PPT values due to biomechanical and physiological changes during RWL, along with improvements in psychological resilience subdimensions due to structured routines and social support.MethodsThirty-seven elite male athletes (age: 22.94 ± 1.98) participated in the study. Psychological resilience was assessed using the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults, and mechanical pain sensitivity was evaluated through Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) measurements. Measurements were conducted before and after the RWL period, spanning one month prior to competition.ResultsThe results revealed significant PPT values across all thoracolumbar segments after RWL (p < 0.001). Cohen’s d values indicated large effect sizes for these changes (d = 2.10–2.36). The L5 segment exhibited the largest PPT decrease (t = −10.45, d = 2.36), while the Th1 segment showed the smallest decrease (t = −8.23, d = 2.10). Measurements taken at 4 cm from the spine midline also demonstrated significant PPT reductions (p < 0.001), with the highest change recorded in the L5 segment (t = −9.78, d = 2.30). Psychological resilience subdimensions, including “structured style,” “social competence,” “future orientation,” and “social resources,” improved significantly after RWL (p < 0.05), while “family cohesion” and “personal strength” did not show significant changes. Athletes who previously ranked in tournaments exhibited higher psychological resilience, potentially due to enhanced self-confidence.DiscussionThese findings align with literature suggesting that competitive success and optimism play crucial roles in resilience development. Personality traits and perceived social support further contributed to the observed resilience levels. This study highlights the multidimensional impact of RWL, emphasizing its detrimental effects on pain sensitivity and its mixed outcomes on psychological resilience. RWL-associated increases in mechanical hyperalgesia, especially in the lumbar region, were attributed to biomechanical and neurophysiological factors. Enhanced psychological resilience observed in certain subdimensions underscores the importance of structured and social support systems in mitigating RWL-induced stress. Future research should explore interventions to optimize resilience and manage pain during RWL periods, focusing on individualized support strategies for athletes. These findings contribute to understanding the interplay between psychological and physiological factors during RWL, practical insights for athletic training. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e78989f5d5ae4ffc91b54f6817bd0686 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e78989f5d5ae4ffc91b54f6817bd06862025-01-22T07:16:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-01-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15450481545048Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesiaEsin Çağla Çağlar0Levent Ceylan1Sermin Ağralı Ermiş2Furkan Çamiçi3Murat Eliöz4Recep Nur Uzun5Güner Çiçek6Muhammet Kusan7Mustafa Tolga Bayraktar8Fatma Neşe Şahin9Hamza Küçük10Faculty of Sport Sciences, Hitit University, Corum, TürkiyeFaculty of Sport Sciences, Hitit University, Corum, TürkiyeFaculty of Sport Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, TurkeyFaculty of Sport Sciences, Hitit University, Corum, TürkiyeYasar Doğu Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis Unersity, Samsun, TürkiyeYasar Doğu Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis Unersity, Samsun, TürkiyeFaculty of Sport Sciences, Hitit University, Corum, TürkiyeYasar Doğu Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis Unersity, Samsun, TürkiyeYasar Doğu Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis Unersity, Samsun, TürkiyeFaculty of Sport Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, TurkeyYasar Doğu Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis Unersity, Samsun, TürkiyeIntroductionThe study investigates the effects of Rapid Weight Loss (RWL) on the levels of psychological resilience and mechanical pain sensitivity in elite kickboxers. The primary aim was to examine changes in psychological resilience subdimensions and pressure pain threshold (PPT) values in the thoracolumbar region before and after a one-month RWL period leading up to competition. Hypotheses included expectations of significant reductions in PPT values due to biomechanical and physiological changes during RWL, along with improvements in psychological resilience subdimensions due to structured routines and social support.MethodsThirty-seven elite male athletes (age: 22.94 ± 1.98) participated in the study. Psychological resilience was assessed using the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults, and mechanical pain sensitivity was evaluated through Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) measurements. Measurements were conducted before and after the RWL period, spanning one month prior to competition.ResultsThe results revealed significant PPT values across all thoracolumbar segments after RWL (p < 0.001). Cohen’s d values indicated large effect sizes for these changes (d = 2.10–2.36). The L5 segment exhibited the largest PPT decrease (t = −10.45, d = 2.36), while the Th1 segment showed the smallest decrease (t = −8.23, d = 2.10). Measurements taken at 4 cm from the spine midline also demonstrated significant PPT reductions (p < 0.001), with the highest change recorded in the L5 segment (t = −9.78, d = 2.30). Psychological resilience subdimensions, including “structured style,” “social competence,” “future orientation,” and “social resources,” improved significantly after RWL (p < 0.05), while “family cohesion” and “personal strength” did not show significant changes. Athletes who previously ranked in tournaments exhibited higher psychological resilience, potentially due to enhanced self-confidence.DiscussionThese findings align with literature suggesting that competitive success and optimism play crucial roles in resilience development. Personality traits and perceived social support further contributed to the observed resilience levels. This study highlights the multidimensional impact of RWL, emphasizing its detrimental effects on pain sensitivity and its mixed outcomes on psychological resilience. RWL-associated increases in mechanical hyperalgesia, especially in the lumbar region, were attributed to biomechanical and neurophysiological factors. Enhanced psychological resilience observed in certain subdimensions underscores the importance of structured and social support systems in mitigating RWL-induced stress. Future research should explore interventions to optimize resilience and manage pain during RWL periods, focusing on individualized support strategies for athletes. These findings contribute to understanding the interplay between psychological and physiological factors during RWL, practical insights for athletic training.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1545048/fullmechanical hyperalgesiarapid weight losspsychological resiliencecombat athleteskickboxers |
| spellingShingle | Esin Çağla Çağlar Levent Ceylan Sermin Ağralı Ermiş Furkan Çamiçi Murat Eliöz Recep Nur Uzun Güner Çiçek Muhammet Kusan Mustafa Tolga Bayraktar Fatma Neşe Şahin Hamza Küçük Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia Frontiers in Psychology mechanical hyperalgesia rapid weight loss psychological resilience combat athletes kickboxers |
| title | Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia |
| title_full | Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia |
| title_fullStr | Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia |
| title_short | Rapid weight loss and combat athletes: a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia |
| title_sort | rapid weight loss and combat athletes a study on psychological resilience and mechanical hyperalgesia |
| topic | mechanical hyperalgesia rapid weight loss psychological resilience combat athletes kickboxers |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1545048/full |
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