Program & Abstract Book - EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009

EPFL Latsis Symposium 2009: Understanding Violence
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Poster Abstracts
pe r s o n a l i t y t r a i t s a n D e n D o c r i n e
r e s p o n s e a s p o s s i b l e a s y m m e t r y f a c t o r s
o f agonistic o u t c o m e in k a r a t e a t h l e t e s
Harold, Dadomo 1 ; Alessandro, Bartolomucci 1 ; Pierfrancesco,
Ferrari 1 ; Paola, Palanza 1 ; Alessandro, Vignali 2 ; Riccardo,
Volpi 2 ; Stefano, Parmigiani 1
1 Department of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, University of
Parma, Parma,Italy.; 2 Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical
Sciences, University of Parma, Parma,Italy.
Kumite (real fight) and Kata (highly ritualized fight) were studied in male
Karate athletes. In Kumite the dyads were matched for weight, technical
ability and body mass index to achieve symmetrical agonistic confrontations.
Individual variations in the plasma levels of hormones (testosterone
(T) and cortisol (C)), before and after Kumite and Kata, were measured
and analysed in relation with the agonistic outcome (i.e. winning or losing)
and personality trait measures. T and C increased only during Kumite
contest and pre and post-competition C levels were higher in losers than
winners. personality traits revealed that losers showed higher levels of
harm avoidance (risk assessment), lower levels of novelty seeking and
higher levels of anxiety than winners. significant correlations existed between
personality traits and pre-competition C in the kumite contest with
the novelty seeking negatively correlate with C and the higher the level
of risk assessment, of emotionality and insecurity indexes the higher the
C level. Thus personality traits might be an important factor of asymmetry
between athletes influencing both the probability of winning or losing an
agonistic interaction and the different anticipatory endocrine response to
the incipient fight. Thus the “biological” and “psychological” measures can
be used to characterize the athlete in terms of attitude and performance
and to enhance individual coping strategy in challenging situations.
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