You know that parking yourself in front of the tube for hours on end is bad for your health—but it’s hard to resist when football season is in full swing.
Fortunately, there is some good news for all you TV sports fans. Just a few simple actions on your part can go a long way toward safeguarding your heart, diet, mood and more…while still letting you watch your favorite teams play. I reviewed the recent studies on the topic, then made contact with Ramani Durvasula, PhD, a neuropsychological researcher and professor of psychology at California State University in Los Angeles.
Here’s what I learned about how TV football can affect your…
- Cardiovascular health. Watching your favorite team suffer a loss can increase your risk of having a heart attack within two to 12 hours of the game, several studies have shown. Why? Probably because it temporarily floods your body with stress hormones and causes heart rate and blood pressure to spike.Your best play: Belt out your team’s fight song a few times as you watch the game—or if you don’t know the official song, make up your own. Singing reduces blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol…and increases production of brain chemicals called endorphins, which (in addition to boosting mood) cause blood vessels to dilate, allowing blood to flow more easily and reducing blood pressure. Bonus: Singing also increases blood oxygen levels, improves lung capacity and works out the muscles of your chest, abdomen and back.Are you snickering at the very idea of singing out loud in your family room? Well, at least give it a try and see how it feels. And remember, when your partner complains that you’re just a couch potato, you can challenge her call—and rightly claim that, by singing, you’re helping your heart.
- Diet. You know that pigging out in front of the TV isn’t smart. But you may not be aware that watching your team lose can trigger cravings for sugary treats and high-fat foods the day after the game, according to a recent study in Psychological Science. Researchers found that the Monday after their favorite teams suffered a Sunday loss, dejected fans were likely to gobble up 16% more saturated fat compared with their typical Monday diets…and they also ate significantly more sugar than usual. Interestingly, the phenomenon was most pronounced when a game was particularly close or when the loss was unexpected.Now, you might scoff that eating a bit more fat and sugar a few days out of the season is no big deal. But if you’re watching NFL games every Sunday, Monday and Thursday and tuning in to college games on the side, you may be eating more fat and sugar almost every day from September to February—and that really could be a big, bad deal for your health.Your best play: The researchers hypothesized that disappointment makes fans more likely to turn to food as a coping mechanism…so all you really need to do is to be aware of this phenomenon and make a conscious choice to limit saturated fats and sugar the day after a loss.If you find that difficult to do despite your awareness of the problem, try expanding the roster of teams you root for to include some who are having winning seasons. Reason: The study researchers also found that, the day after your team wins, you’re likely to eat 9% less saturated fat than normal and significantly less sugar, too. Of course, you’re not going to abandon a longtime favorite NFL team just because they’re in a slump, Dr. Durvasula acknowledged—but you could try cultivating an interest in a college team or a local high school team that’s doing well to help offset the negative dietary effects of rooting for a pro team that’s struggling.Another tactic to combat post-loss junk food cravings is to write about a time when your favorite team did win big. The study researchers found that participants who were asked to recall and write about a past win by their favorite team and then were offered various foods were more likely to choose fruits and vegetables rather than chips and candy. Or, after a defeat, trying writing down what is most important to you in life. This simple technique, called self-affirmation, completely eliminated the side effects of a defeat on fans, the researchers said.
- Relationships. “Favorite sports teams can be a big part of a person’s identity, and sharing that passion helps promote a sense of bonding with other like-minded fans. Many times, fan allegiances are formed at a young age and are passed down through the family for generations. The camaraderie and shared experience can create a sense of purpose,” said Dr. Durvasula. However, a partner who does not share your interest in football can understandably end up feeling excluded, ignored and resentful when you spend all day Sunday and many Monday and Thursday evenings glued to the TV—seriously damaging the relationship.Your best play: With your partner, work out a mutually acceptable schedule of TV time and no-TV time, Dr. Durvasula suggested. At the start of each week, agree on when you can watch games without being interrupted or nagged…and when you will cheerfully fulfill other household obligations and family responsibilities without complaint. Your partner will feel less resentful and neglected knowing that your chores will get done every Sunday morning, for instance, and that the two of you will have “couple’s time” every Tuesday evening.
- Mood. Researchers at Loyola University in Chicago found that after the Super Bowl, some fans develop “football withdrawal symptoms” that are similar to the post-holiday blues. Why does this happen? When you engage in a pleasurable activity such as watching a game, the nucleus accumbens region in your brain releases the feel-good neurotransmitter called dopamine…when the pleasurable activity ends, you are left with a sense of deprivation.Your best play: Don’t go cold turkey. After the season ends, get a football fix when you need one by watching game clips on YouTube in gradually diminishing amounts. Also, make an effort to stay in touch with your sports friends, Dr. Durvasula suggested. Host a party, inviting the people you usually watch games with…organize a game of touch football with neighbors…make a point of getting involved with youth sports in your community. Not only can these activities minimize postseason letdown, they also foster a sense of companionship and purpose that may bolster your mood even more than the TV games did.
