Personality traits and endocrine response as possible asymmetry factors of agonistic outcome in karate athletes.
Individual variations of plasma levels of hormones testosterone (T) and cortisol (C), before (pre) and after (post) Kumite (real fight) and Kata (ritualized fight) were measured in male karate athletes and analyzed in relation with the agonistic outcome (i.e. winning or losing the fight) and personality trait measures. T and C increased only during Kumite contest and pre- and post-competition C levels were higher in losers than winners. Losers showed higher levels of harm avoidance and anxiety as well as lower level of novelty seeking than winners. Importantly, novelty seeking negatively correlates with pre C and the higher the level of risk assessment, emotionality and insecurity indexes the higher the pre C level. In conclusion, personality traits might be an important factor asymmetry between athletes influencing both the probability of winning or losing an agonistic interaction and the different anticipatory endocrine response to the incipient fight.
Department of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. stefano.parmigiani@unipr.it
Stefano
S
Parmigiani
Harold
H
Dadomo
Alessandro
A
Bartolomucci
Paul F
PF
Brain
Andrea
A
Carbucicchio
Cosimo
C
Costantino
Pier F
PF
Ferrari
Paola
P
Palanza
Riccardo
R
Volpi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D002605:Character; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D040261:Harm Reduction / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D013739:Testosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone