Stress And Performance Of D2 Athletes At A Historically Black College

BACKGROUND: Collegiate athletes deal with significant challenges. Adjusting to moving away from home, social demands, academic performance, as well as sports performance can all add to the chronic stress an athlete may feel. Stress triggers a cascade of physiological events which, when chronic, can impair physical performance and health. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the stress levels and physical performance of student athletes at a D2 Historically Black College (HBCU). METHODS: Performance parameters included muscle strength (hand grip dynamometer), muscle endurance (push up test), and flexibility (sit and reach).and body composition via Bod Pod. In addition, participants completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Both questionnaires have been shown to be reliable and valid. RESULTS: Nine female and 13 male athletes (19.55 yrs, +/- 1.5 yrs) participated in the study. Two participants were Caucasian, 18 were black, and 2 chose the “other” classification. Sports represented were women’s and men’s basketball, football, men’s volleyball, and cheer. Women’s grip strength was in the 95th percentile at 43.18 kg, and men were in the 20th percentile at 35.65 kg. Muscle endurance indicated women in the excellent category (33.44) and men in the fair category (20.38). Women’s sit and reach score was 21.41 in., while men were 26.36 in. Average body fat was 12.9% for women and 14.4% for men.The CES-D results are 0-60 with higher scores having greater symptomatology of depression. Women’s average score was 19, with men’s average score being 15. PSS scores range from 0-40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress. Women and men both averaged scores of 14 indicating moderate levels of perceived stress. CONCLUSIONS: The athletes in this study indicate moderate levels of perceived stress and lack symptomatology of depression. Physical assessments indicate a lack of muscular strength and endurance. It could be that, as D2 athletes at a small university their athletic performance is not the focus of their collegiate career. A follow up study looking at changes in stress levels throughout the season is being conducted. USDA-NIFA