Effects of Nature Exposure Intervention on Soccer Performance Among Mentally Fatigued University Players

Effects of Nature Exposure Intervention on Self-Regulation and Decision-making in Mentally Fatigued University Soccer Players

The current study is going to investigate the nature exposure intervention on the ability of self-regulation and decision-making skills among mentally fatigued soccer players. The subjects will be instructed to view some nature photos, which can facilitate the recovering process for directed attention and the ability of self-regulation. Thus, to see the improvement in decision-making skills.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mental Fatigue
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: nature exposure

Detailed Description

The intervention of this study is nature exposure, specifically, instruct subjects to view and immerse in some nature photos due to the humanity of biophilia.

The condition of mental fatigue will be induced by the Stroop task.

Before the intervention or process of viewing photos, the baseline will be recorded to compare the post-test value of self-regulation and the score of decision-making skills.

Moreover, the different durations of viewing photos will be implemented to identify the optimal selection.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Henan
    • Zhengzhou, Henan, China, 450000
      • Sun He

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 24 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• The selection of the participants will be every position without the goalkeeper. The age of them will be at 18-24 years. Only male players will be selected. Players should have at least played from the senior school and have 3 years' training experience.

Exclusion Criteria:

• The study will exclude color blindness, for the Stroop task will involve color. Self-reports should be free of any known disease or sleep disorder and not currently taking any medication.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: experimental group: 5 seconds for each photo; receive the intervention, which is viewing each nature photo for 5 seconds	Other: nature exposure; Nature exposure has different ways, such as walk in the real nature environment; viewing nature photos. Two main reasons make this study will not use the real nature environment: (1) the limitation of time before or amid the soccer competition; (2) the pandemic situation does not allow people go outside as frequently as before. Therefore, the current study will select some nature photos, which are restorative environments and can restore directed attention to counteract mental fatigue.
Experimental: experimental group: 15 seconds for each photo; receive the intervention, which is viewing each nature photo for 15 seconds	Other: nature exposure; Nature exposure has different ways, such as walk in the real nature environment; viewing nature photos. Two main reasons make this study will not use the real nature environment: (1) the limitation of time before or amid the soccer competition; (2) the pandemic situation does not allow people go outside as frequently as before. Therefore, the current study will select some nature photos, which are restorative environments and can restore directed attention to counteract mental fatigue.
Experimental: experimental group: 30 seconds for each photo; receive the intervention, which is viewing each nature photo for 30 seconds	Other: nature exposure; Nature exposure has different ways, such as walk in the real nature environment; viewing nature photos. Two main reasons make this study will not use the real nature environment: (1) the limitation of time before or amid the soccer competition; (2) the pandemic situation does not allow people go outside as frequently as before. Therefore, the current study will select some nature photos, which are restorative environments and can restore directed attention to counteract mental fatigue.
No Intervention: control group; not receive the intervention, which is viewing each nature photo for 0 seconds.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) will be the indicator of physiological self-regulation and measured by Polar H10 HRV belt	Before and after the intervention, the HRV will be measured to see the differences.	2 weeks
State anxiety will be the indicator of psychological self-regulation and measured by Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2	Before and after the intervention, the state anxiety will be measured to see the differences. The arrange of scores of Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 is 9-36. The higher scores mean higher cognitive and physical anxiety, as well as state confidence.	2 weeks
The soccer decision-making skills will be measured by TacticUP soccer performance online system	Before and after the intervention, the decision-making skills will be measured to see the differences. The arrange of score in TacticUp is 0-100. The higher score, the better decision-making skill.	2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universiti Putra Malaysia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 10, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 5, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): June 20, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 28, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 30, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): January 5, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 30, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 26, 2021
• Last Verified: June 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: self-regulation; mental fatigue; decision-making skills; soccer performance
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Fatigue; Mental Fatigue
• Other Study ID Numbers: JKEUPM-2020-327

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No