Quantifying The Physical Exertion Of College Mascots

PURPOSE: On College Gameday, there are few more recognizable faces than the college mascot. While mascot-performers don’t fit traditional sporting molds, it requires athletic prowess while wearing a twenty-to-thirty-pound decorated suit. This leads to unique challenges and risks such as heat exhaustion, fluid loss, electrolyte imbalance, and syncope. While significant research exists for most sports, little to no research exists on the physical exertion of college mascot-performers. METHODS: This IRB-approved human-subjects research analyzes the heartrate, weight change, and core body temperature of Northwestern University mascot performers (n = 2 male athletes) across 6 college football games during the 2022/23 college football season. While not performing as the mascot, Northwestern spirit-team members perform the same tasks (flag-running, acrobatics, fan-interaction) alongside the mascot before switching at halftime, creating a unique opportunity to compare exertion both in and outside of the mascot suit. Heartrate and core body temperature were measured continuously throughout activity using chest-strap heartrate monitors. Weight was measured before and after activities using a professional scale. Heartrate data was converted into percent time spent within heartrate zones using python coding script. Values were compared using two-tailed t-tests. RESULTS: Performers spent an average of 2.06 hours/game as the mascot, Willie the Wildcat, and 4.23 hours/game total (mascot performance + spirit team performance). While performing as the mascot, team members had significantly higher average heartrate (146 vs 108, p = 0.002); average maximum heartrate (181 vs 164, p = 0.004); and time spent within heartrate zones 3, 4, and 5 (70-80%, 80-90% and 90%-100% of HRmax respectively) than while performing as spirit-team. Performers also had significantly higher average core body temperature (100.6 vs 99.5, p = 0.002), and despite as-needed hydration, team members lost an average of 2.69 pounds per performance as the mascot compared to 1.73 pounds as spirit team. CONCLUSIONS: Mascot-performers undergo significant exertion for extended periods of time. Participants will likely benefit from professional athletic and health screening required for most official college sports.