Abstract
We have studied the physiological consequences of the tension caused by playing chess in 20 male chess players, by following heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory variables. We observed significant increase in the heart rate (75–86 beats/min), in the ratio low frequency (LF)/high frequency (HF) of heart rate variability (1.3–3.0) and also a decrease in mean heart rate variability with no changes in HF throughout the game. These results suggest a stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system with no changes in the parasympathetic system. The respiratory exchange ratio was rather elevated (over 0.89) at the start and significantly decreased during the game (0.75 at the end), indicating that energy expenditure progressively switched from carbohydrate to lipid oxidation. The changes in substrate oxidation and the sympathetic system seem to be due to high cognitive demands and bring new insight into adaptations to mental strain.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brooks GA, Mercier J (1994) Balance of carbohydrate and lipid utilization during exercise: the “crossover” concept. J Appl Physiol 76:2253–2261
Brehm MA, Harlaar J, Groepenhof H (2004) Validation of the portable VmaxST system for oxygen-uptake measurement. Gait Posture 20:67–73. doi:10.1016/S0966-6362(03)00097-3
Carver CS, Scheier MF, Weintraub JK (1989) Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. J Pers Soc Psychol 56:267–283. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.56.2.267
Delaney JP, Brodie DA (2000) Effects of short-term psychological stress on the time and frequency domains of heart-rate variability. Percept Mot Skills 91:515–524. doi:10.2466/PMS.91.6.515-524
Dugué B, Leppänen E, Zhou HP, Gräsbeck R (1992) Preanalytical factors and standardised specimen collection: influence of psychological stress. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 52:43–50. doi:10.3109/00365519209085439
Dugué B, Leppänen E, Gräsbeck R (2001) The driving license examination as a stress model. Effects on blood picture, serum cortisol and the production of interleukins in man. Life Sci 68:1641–1647. doi:10.1016/S0024-3205(01)00963-8
Fairclough SH, Houston K (2004) A metabolic measure of mental effort. Biol Psychol 66:177–190. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2003.10.001
Gaillard AW (1993) Comparing the concepts of mental load and stress. Ergonomics 36:991–1006. doi:10.1080/00140139308967972
Gaillard AW (2001) Stress, workload, and fatigue as three biobehavioural states: a general overview. In: Hancock PA, Desmond PA (eds) Stress, workload, and fatigue. Erlbaum, Mahweh, NJ, pp 623–639
Garde AH, Laursen B, Jorgensen AH, Jensen BR (2002) Effects of mental and physical demands on heart rate variability during computer work. Eur J Appl Physiol 87:456–461. doi:10.1007/s00421-002-0656-7
Hayano J, Sakakibara Y, Yamada A, Yamada M, Mukai S, Fujinami T, Yokoyama K, Watanabe Y, Takata K (1991) Accuracy of assessment of cardiac vagal tone by heart rate variability in normal subjects. Am J Cardiol 67:199–204. doi:10.1016/0002-9149(91)90445-Q
Hirsch JA, Bishop B (1981) Respiratory sinus arrhythmia in humans: how breathing pattern modulates heart rate. Am J Physiol 241:H620–H629
Huikuri HV, Linnaluoto MK, Seppänen T, Airaksinen KEJ, Kessler KM, Takkunen JT, Myerburg RJ (1992) Circadian rhythm of heart rate variability in survivors of cardiac arrest. Am J Cardiol 70:610–615. doi:10.1016/0002-9149(92)90200-I
Huikuri HV, Seppänen T, Koistinen MJ, Airaksinen KEJ, Ikäheimo MJ, Castellanos A, Myerburg RJ (1996) Abnormalities in beat-to-beat dynamics of heart rate before the spontaneous onset of life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with prior myocardial infarction. Circulation 93:1836–1844
Laurent CM, Meyers MC, Robinson CA, Strong LR, Chase C, Goodwin B (2008) Validity of the VmaxST portable metabolic measurement system. J Sports Sci 26:709–716. doi:10.1080/02640410701758685
Levine JA, Schleusner SJ, Jensen MD (2000) Energy expenditure of nonexercise activity. Am J Clin Nutr 72:1451–1454
Levine JA (2005) Measurement of energy expenditure. Public Health Nutr 8:1123–1132. doi:10.1079/PHN2005800
McEwen BS, Wingfield JC (2003) The concept of allostasis in biology and biomedicine. Horm Behav 43:2–15. doi:10.1016/S0018-506X(02)00024-7
Montano N, Ruscone TG, Porta A, Lombardi F, Pagani M, Malliani A (1994) Power spectrum analysis of heart rate variability to assess the changes in sympathovagal balance during graded orthostatic tilt. Circulation 90:1826–1831
Mourot L, Bouhaddi M, Gandelin E, Cappelle S, Nguyen NU, Wolf JP, Rouillon JD, Hughson R, Regnard J (2007) Conditions of autonomic reciprocal interplay versus autonomic co-activation: effects on non-linear heart rate dynamics. Auton Neurosci 137:27–36. doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2007.06.284
Niaura R, Stoney CM, Herbert PN (1992) Lipids in psychological research: the last decade. Biol Psychol 34:1–43. doi:10.1016/0301-0511(92)90022-M
Pagani M, Rimoldi O, Pizzinelli P, Furlan R, Crivellaro W, Liberati D, Cerutti S, Malliani A (1991) Assessment of the neural control of the circulation during psychological stress. J Auton Nerv Syst 35:33–41. doi:10.1016/0165-1838(91)90036-3
Peronnet F, Massicotte D (1991) Table of non protein respiratory quotient: an update. Can J Sport Sci 16:23–29
Rao J, Oz G, Seaquist ER (2006) Regulation of cerebral glucose metabolism. Minerva Endocrinol 31:149–158
Romijn JA, Coyle EF, Sidossis LS, Gastaldelli A, Horowitz JF, Endert E, Wolfe RR (1993) Regulation of endogenous fat and carbohydrate metabolism in relation to exercise intensity and duration. Am J Physiol 265:E380–E391
Ruha A, Sallinen S, Nissilä S (1997) A real-time microprocessor QRS detector system with a 1 ms timing accuracy for the measurement of ambulatory HRV. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 44:159–167. doi:10.1109/10.554762
Schwarz AM, Schachinger H, Adler RH, Goetz SM (2003) Hopelessness is associated with decreased heart rate variability during championship chess games. Psychosom Med 65:658–661. doi:10.1097/01.PSY.0000075975.90979.2A
Seematter G, Guenat E, Schneiter P, Cayeux C, Jequier E, Tappy L (2000) Effects of mental stress on insulin-mediated glucose metabolism and energy expenditure in lean and obese women. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 279:E799–E805
Selye H (1951) The general adaptation syndrome and the diseases of adaptation. Am J Med 10:549–555. doi:10.1016/0002-9343(51)90327-0
Sourkes TL (2006) On the energy cost of mental effort. J Hist Neurosci 15:31–47. doi:10.1080/096470490944860
Stoney CM, Niaura R, Bausserman L (1997) Temporal stability of lipid responses to acute psychological stress in middle-aged men. Psychophysiology 34:285–291. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8986.1997.tb02399.x
Stoney CM, Niaura R, Bausserman L, Matacin M (1999) Lipid reactivity to stress: comparison of chronic and acute stress responses in middle-aged airline pilots. Health Psychol 18:241–250. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.18.3.241
Tulppo MP, Kiviniemi AM, Hautala AJ, Kallio M, Seppänen T, Mäkikallio TH, Huikuri HV (2005) Physiological background of the loss of fractal heart rate dynamics. Circulation 112:314–319. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.104.523712
Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A (1988) Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol 54:1063–1070. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063
Wirtz PH, Ehlert U, Emini L, Rüdisüli K, Groessbauer S, Gaab J, Elsenbruch S, Von Känel R (2006) Anticipatory cognitive stress appraisal and the acute procoagulant stress response in men. Psychosom Med 68:851–858. doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000245866.03456.aa
Acknowledgments
The study was partly supported by the Chess League of Limousin, France. The authors are very grateful for the volunteers who were all very excited to participate and the League of Limousin that encouraged this research. The Conseil Général de la Vienne is also thanked for inspiring our collaboration with research laboratories of the Oulu region (Finland) and for giving a traveling grant (BD).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Troubat, N., Fargeas-Gluck, MA., Tulppo, M. et al. The stress of chess players as a model to study the effects of psychological stimuli on physiological responses: an example of substrate oxidation and heart rate variability in man. Eur J Appl Physiol 105, 343–349 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0908-2
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0908-2