Study Measures Body Changes During England World Cup Match

A university research team monitored one person's physical responses while watching England's opening World Cup match against Croatia. The experiment took place in a Bristol pub. Two scientists from the University of South Wales attached heart-rate monitors, blood-pressure cuffs, ultrasound probes and a breathing device to the subject before kickoff.

The match ended 4-2. Readings showed heart rate rising from 54 to 69 beats per minute within half a second of the first goal, with smaller increases in blood pressure and a drop in exhaled carbon dioxide.

Saliva samples taken before and after the match showed cortisol levels increasing from 4.19 nmol/L to 5.15 nmol/L. The lead researcher described the overall pattern as a mild stress response similar to light exercise, with rapid return to baseline once the excitement passed.

The same researcher noted that people with higher sensitivity to stress could experience heart-rate jumps of 50 to 60 beats per minute. In individuals who already have heart or brain conditions, such changes could tighten blood vessels or thicken blood enough to raise the risk of fainting or, in extreme cases, a cardiac event.

The researchers said the findings apply only to the single subject tested and that alcohol was avoided to prevent interference with the measurements.