Can backing a losing team be hazardous for your health?

Fall is the time to be cheering for your favorite football or soccer team, since the regular seasons in both sports are already underway. For die-hard fans whose self-identities are tied to affiliations with certain teams, fall can be synonymous with an emotional rollercoaster. A recent study titled, From Fan to Fat? Vicarious Losing Increases Unhealthy Eating, but Self-Affirmation Is an Effective Remedy, concluded that your eating habits can be effected the day after a game, depending on whether your team wins or loses.

This research looked at fans of the National Football League (NFL) teams and consumption of food on the Monday after a defeat or a win. It concluded that fans on the losing side consumed 16% more saturated fats and 10% more calories. If your team was on the winning side on Sunday, you were likely to consume 9% less saturated fats and 5% fewer calories. Amounts of saturated fat consumption increased if your team was playing an opponent of equal strength, if your team lost by a narrow margin or if your team was defeated unexpectedly. Similarly, soccer fans were more likely to have poor eating habits after a defeat.

Other research has examined fans and rates of cardiac arrest, concluding that cardiac arrest rates increase when your team loses. During the 2006 World Cup of Soccer in Germany, cardiac arrest cases increased when Germany lost a match, when a game was very close or when a game went to the wire. When Germany won or when they played a meaningless match, heart attack rates did not increase.

In football, researchers discovered that it did not make a difference whether you were a male or female fan. However, there tend to be more male than female fans. In the case of soccer, it was concluded that during the 2006 World Cup, cardiac arrest among males tripled, while it doubled in females.

Some options to consider in minimizing health risks while enjoying a game or match

1. Self affirmation - the process of identifying and focusing on one's most important values. 
2. Make an effort to consume healthy food during and in the hours and days following the game, regardless of the outcome. 
3. Switch teams!

Many sports fans invest a great deal of time and money cheering for their teams. The competitive season can be long. A team may have a banner year or may be dismal. However, there are die-hard fans who will cheer for teams whether they are good or utterly terrible, season in and season out. Given the health risks associated with being a sports fan, it might be time to examine our priorities since in truth, there is always the next game or the next year.

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Griffin D, Harris P. Calibrating the Response to Health Warnings: Limiting Both Overreaction and Underreaction With Self-Affirmation. Psychological Science (Sage Publications Inc.). May 2011;22(5):572-578.

2. Hyatt C. How is loyalty to a professional sports team originally established, and what factors play a role when allegiances are switched: a qualitative examination of the team-switching phenomenon. (Abstract). In 17th Annual North American Society for Sport Management Conference. NASSM abstracts, May 29-June 1, 2002, Canmore, Alberta, Canmore, Alta., North American Society for Sport Management, 2002, p.41--42. Canada: 2002.

3. O'Sullivan T, Hafekost K, Mitrou F, Lawrence D. Food Sources of Saturated Fat and the Association With Mortality: A Meta-Analysis. American Journal Of Public Health. September 2013;103(9):e31-e42.

4. Pollock P. Unhealthy Habits. Black Belt . August 2012;50(8):32.

5. Sweeney D, Quimby D. Exploring the Physical Health Behavior Differences between High and Low Identified Sports Fans. Sport Journal. January 2012;15:1.

6. Vallerand R, Ntoumanis N, Maliha G, et al. On passion and sports fans: A look at football. Journal Of Sports Sciences . October 2008;26(12):1279-1293.

To Tweet or not to Tweet - Should Student-Athletes Use Twitter?

by Trent Weir 
Algonquin College Sport Business Management Intern

Whether it is Cristiano Ronaldo with over 21 million followers on Twitter or the Ottawa Senators with over 186 thousand likes on Facebook it is clear that social media is playing a major role in changing the way people interact with athletes and teams. Social media is not just for professional athletes though, more and more student-athletes have begun to use social media to interact with their fans. As with their professional counter parts this new form of communication has provided many benefits but can also lead to a number of possible concerns.

Twitter is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of social media. While there are still more users on Facebook, Twitter is growing at a greater rate. With the ability to communicate with a large number of people through short mini-blogs, fans have been able to interact with athletes on a much more personal level. However, the ability to say whatever is on their mind at any time can also get student-athletes into a lot of trouble if they don't think of the wider repercussions before they tweet.

Pros of tweeting:

• When used in a thoughtful way, tweeting can help a student-athlete build their identity in the sporting community. This can help them if they ever become a professional athlete by increasing their personal brand which could lead to better sponsorship deals. 
• Student-athletes using Twitter can help increase awareness for their school and team.
• Communicating through Twitter can help teammates interact with each other more often which can create a greater sense of community amongst the team. 

Cons of tweeting:

• Mistakes made through Twitter can become a permanent part of your digital footprint. It is not uncommon for potential employers to “google” you, meaning they may discover any controversies that arose from your Twitter use. This can significantly impact their opinion of you as an applicant. 
• When a student-athlete is in the media for a tweet they made, it can become a major distraction for themselves as well as the rest of the team.  
• While Twitter allows student-athletes to interact with their fans, it also allows people to make a comment about them. While most of the feedback is positive, unfortunately some remarks can also be extremely negative and hurtful. 

Many schools have realized the significance of Twitter use amongst their athletes. Some schools have banned its use during the season, while others have employed companies like UDiligence or Varsity Monitor. These companies use algorithms to flag potentially damaging words to help avoid controversial situations. Other schools have focused on the benefits Twitter can have for their athletes. They provide information and give guidelines to help their students use it appropriately. The University of Washington has 35 featured student-athletes on Twitter; this program has helped show the potential when you use Twitter to aptly promote yourself and your school.

If you are a student-athlete who uses Twitter, whether you are in high school or university, it is important that you present yourself in a positive way. Think carefully about what you post and how it may be interpreted by others; try to avoid tweeting when you are upset or angry. Twitter can be a fun and useful tool for promoting yourself when it is used in an intelligent and thoughtful manner.

References from the SIRC Collection: 

1. Steinbach, P. Character Studies. Athletic Business, November 2012;36(11):47-50. 
2. Fenwick F. BRAVE NEW WORLD. NZ Rugby World, May 2013;(160):80. 
3. Carroll C. Confusion Reigns As Colleges and Universities Deal with Social Media and the Student-Athlete. Journal Of NCAA Compliance, May 2012;:6-7. 
4. Ramos R. SOCIAL MEDIA AND EDUCATING STUDENT-ATHLETES ON RESPONSIBLE ENGAGEMENT. Cosida Digest, February 2013;:35-36.
5. Browning B, Sanderson J. The Positives and Negatives of Twitter: Exploring How Student-Athletes Use Twitter and Respond to Critical Tweets. International Journal Of Sport Communication, December 2012;5(4):503-521. 
6. Kishner I, Crescenti B. The Rise of Social Media. Entertainment & Sports Lawyer, Winter 2010;27(4):24-26. 
7. Frederick E, Choong Hoon L, Clavio G, Walsh P. Why We Follow: An Examination of Parasocial Interaction and Fan Motivations for Following Athlete Archetypes on Twitter. International Journal Of Sport Communication, December 2012;5(4):481-502.