Children who play sports become stressed less quickly, as they produce less cortisol during a stressful task, a new study by the University of Basel shows.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Español
es
Los niños físicamente activos son más resistentes al estrés
For the study, 110 children between the ages of 10 and 13 had to master the so-called Trier Social Stress Test, the University of Basel revealed on Tuesday.
This test is designed to put participants in a stressful situation. The children had to recite something to a jury after a brief preparation period. They also had to complete a mathematics test in which the task started all over again after each mistake.
More
More
Swiss students ‘becoming more stressed out’
This content was published on
A national campaign to promote student mental health has been launched following concerns that the pressure on young people at university is too high.
Those children who said they exercised for more than half an hour a day were found to produce less cortisol, the stress hormone, during this task compared to less active children. The more active children also reported a lower feeling of stress after the test. These results were published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
Positive association
The researchers explained that cortisol levels increase during physical activity. When children exercise regularly, the body learns to associate cortisol with a positive feeling. This positive association also prevents the concentration of the stress hormone from rising to too high a level during the stress test.
The Basel researchers now want to find out whether physical activity also influences the cognitive consequences of exam stress: in other words, whether children who exercise less struggle more with blockages.
These findings are relevant not only for school-aged children, say the study authors: a stronger reaction to psychosocial stress in childhood increases the risk of developing psychological and physiological disorders later in life.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Banking & Fintech
UBS releases ‘hundreds’ of staff in fresh wave of job cuts
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
UBS has cut 10,000 jobs since Credit Suisse takeover in 2023
This content was published on
UBS Group has cut more than 10,000 roles since it bought Credit Suisse, marking a milestone in the lender’s efforts to integrate its former rival.
Swiss multinational SGS to move HQ from Geneva to Zug
This content was published on
The Swiss multinational SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, plans to move its headquarters from Geneva to canton Zug in central Switzerland.
Swiss army takes part in international tank competition
This content was published on
Around 20 Swiss army personnel and two Leopard 2 tanks are taking part in an international tank competition in Grafenwöhr, Germany, this week.
Omega-3 supplements seem to slow ageing process, Swiss study finds
This content was published on
Taking a daily omega-3 supplement appears to slow down the rate of biological ageing by up to four months, according to a study by researchers at the University of Zurich.
This content was published on
The Swiss writer and translator Alain Claude Sulzer has been awarded the Solothurn Literary Days Prize 2025 for his lifetime's work.
Prix de Lausanne features 85 dancers from 23 countries
This content was published on
The 53rd Prix de Lausanne international ballet competition is underway. A total of 85 young dancers from 23 countries are competing in the Swiss city.
Swiss Solidarity charity collected CHF34 million in 2024
This content was published on
Swiss Solidarity, the humanitarian arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), raised CHF34.4 million ($37.7 million) in donations in 2024 and spent CHF63 million on humanitarian projects.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
How children can contribute to build better democracies
This content was published on
Shortcomings of participative democracy: An international panel in the Swiss city of Lucerne puts the spotlight on the youngest members of society.
Swiss children still prefer sports over watching TV, says study
This content was published on
Primary-school kids spend more time playing sports and socialising than they do watching television or using the internet, a new study reveals.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.