Comparative Study of Stress in Male and Female Hockey Players

Understanding the Impact of Stress on Hockey Players

Abstract

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to events that upset our personal balance in some way. When faced with a threat, whether to our physical safety or emotional equilibrium, the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” response. We all know what this stress response feels like: heart pounding in the chest, muscles tensing up, breathes coming faster, every sense on red alert. Stress is an integral part of our lives. “It is a natural byproduct of all our activities”. Life is a dynamic process thus forever changing and stressful. Our body responds to acute stress by deliberation of chemicals.