Biomedical subjects

K W Kallus

Publications and source records attributed to K W Kallus.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

Stress-induced hormonal and mood responses in scuba divers: a field study.

The majority of injuries in scuba-divers are attributable to inappropriate behavior under stressful diving conditions, predominantly involving panic reactions emerging from elevated levels of anxiety. Divers with an elevated level of anxiety and poor coping are at higher risk of developing panic reactions than those possessing more adequate stress-coping-mechanisms. In the comparison of two extreme groups of seven divers each with opposite stress coping strategies, prolactin was found to be a hormonal marker with a significant increase in the sub-group of the stress-controllers. This hormonal response was observed in a recreational and a stressful dive, and in the latter with a more distinct elevation. Along with the self-reported emotional conditions under immersion, these data suggest that an increased prolactin level reflects a state of elevated physical and mental activation and vigilance. Facing a stressful situation subjects with more emotional concern and the tendency to surrender react by "blunted responses" and show significantly lower elevations of the prolactin levels in contrast to subjects with the very opposite psychological features. The other observed somatic parameters (epinephrine, norepinephrine) showed significant increases during and after dives (with the exception of saliva cortisol), however without any significant group difference.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Training of junior rowers before world championships. Effects on performance, mood state and selected hormonal and metabolic responses.

BACKGROUND: Few data have been published on training of competitive athletes and about metabolic, hormonal and psychological reactions to overreaching (transient over-training) and tapering in successful athletes. METHODS: Training was recorded and effects on mood state and metabolic and hormonal responses were examined in 10 rowers and spares of the coxed eight during preparation for the World Championships 1995. Mood state was determined using the Recovery-Stress-Questionnaire for Athletes. Resting morning blood parameters as well as performance were measured every week over a period of five weeks. RESULTS: Very high training loads of approximately 3.2 hours per day were sustained for 18 days. Maximum performance (Pmax) and maximum lactate (Lamax) were decreased during high-load training phases (overreaching), Pmax, Lamax and endurance increased after the tapering period. There were decreases in gonadal and hypothalamic steroid hormones (fsh, 1h, prolactin, testosterone) during overreaching and increases in these hormones in tapering. Both performance and hormonal indices of training load were reflected by deterioration of recovery in the Recovery-Stress-Questionnaire for Athletes. CONCLUSIONS: Clear signs of overreaching were found after 18 days of intense training of about 3 h.d(-1) in these highly-trained athletes, i.e. decreases in performance, gonadal and hypothalamic steroid hormones and deterioration of recovery in the psychological questionnaire. After tapering values returned to baseline values before the World Championship. The findings indicate that overreaching is an integral part of successful training regimens and can be analyzed by a multi-factorial approach involving biological and psychometric data.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Interrelation between stress and coaches' behavior during rest periods.

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the interrelation between stress and coaches' behavior during rest periods. Subjects were 154 German coaches who completed the Rest Period Questionnaire and a Bibliographic Questionnaire for Coaches designed to attribute stress to coaches' behavior during rest periods. Analysis indicated that coaches who are highly stressed by the practice rate themselves significantly less active and less authoritarian during rest periods than do their low stressed colleagues. In addition, coaches who are highly stressed by the competition rate themselves significantly less warm-hearted than the low stressed group.

Adult↗