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Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running. / Woodman, Tim; Welch, Charlotte.
In: Sport Psychologist, Vol. 36, No. 1, 03.2022, p. 40-46.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

HarvardHarvard

Woodman, T & Welch, C 2022, 'Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running', Sport Psychologist, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2021-0039

APA

Woodman, T., & Welch, C. (2022). Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running. Sport Psychologist, 36(1), 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2021-0039

CBE

Woodman T, Welch C. 2022. Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running. Sport Psychologist. 36(1):40-46. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2021-0039

MLA

Woodman, Tim and Charlotte Welch. "Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running". Sport Psychologist. 2022, 36(1). 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2021-0039

VancouverVancouver

Woodman T, Welch C. Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running. Sport Psychologist. 2022 Mar;36(1):40-46. Epub 2021 Oct 23. doi: 10.1123/tsp.2021-0039

Author

Woodman, Tim ; Welch, Charlotte. / Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running. In: Sport Psychologist. 2022 ; Vol. 36, No. 1. pp. 40-46.

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Alexithymia and the anxiolytic effect of endurance running

AU - Woodman, Tim

AU - Welch, Charlotte

N1 - No embargo upon publication

PY - 2022/3

Y1 - 2022/3

N2 - Individuals high in alexithymia use high-risk sport to regulate their anxiety. Given the conceptual similarities between arduous high-risk sports and extreme endurance running, we investigated the relationship between alexithymia and the anxiolytic effects of endurance running. We measured marathon and ultramarathon runners (n = 35) on alexithymia, and pre- and post-race anxiety. Bootstrapped regression analyses using MEMORE revealed that alexithymia moderated the relationship between pre- and post-race anxiety such that there was a significant anxiety reduction for individuals high in alexithymia only. In conclusion, extreme endurance running provides an emotion regulation function for individuals high in alexithymia. The modest sample size points to the need for replication and further exploration.

AB - Individuals high in alexithymia use high-risk sport to regulate their anxiety. Given the conceptual similarities between arduous high-risk sports and extreme endurance running, we investigated the relationship between alexithymia and the anxiolytic effects of endurance running. We measured marathon and ultramarathon runners (n = 35) on alexithymia, and pre- and post-race anxiety. Bootstrapped regression analyses using MEMORE revealed that alexithymia moderated the relationship between pre- and post-race anxiety such that there was a significant anxiety reduction for individuals high in alexithymia only. In conclusion, extreme endurance running provides an emotion regulation function for individuals high in alexithymia. The modest sample size points to the need for replication and further exploration.

KW - emotion regulation

KW - Anxiety

KW - ultramarathon

KW - affect

KW - coping

U2 - 10.1123/tsp.2021-0039

DO - 10.1123/tsp.2021-0039

M3 - Article

VL - 36

SP - 40

EP - 46

JO - Sport Psychologist

JF - Sport Psychologist

SN - 0888-4781

IS - 1

ER -