How hockey fans' hearts react to stressful moments in the game
Paul Khairy
The excitement of sports is likely responsible for the observed increases in heart rate  said study author Dr. Paul Khairy  a cardiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute.
But the new study is the first to demonstrate that the ambience of a live game â being surrounded by cheering fans  being closer to the action and experiencing an increased level of engagement â may all contribute to the heightened emotional stress response in fans   Khairy  told Live Science.
In the study  the heart rates of fans who watched a hockey game in person increased by 110 percent  on average  from their resting heart rates. That's comparable to the increase you'd see in someone running  jumping rope or doing any other vigorous form of exercise   Khairy  said.
Fans who watched the same game on TV had a 75 percent increase in their heart rates  on average  which is similar to the heart rates seen with moderate physical activity  such as a casual bike ride   Khairy  noted.
Surprisingly  a person's interest in the sport and engagement as a fan were not linked to changes in heart rate during the game   Khairy  said. However   he  added that  he  suspects there might have been a different result if researchers had developed their own way to measure passion in hockey fans rather than adapting a tool originally designed for soccer spectators.
Although fans watching any sport can experience a similar amount of excitement as was observed in this group of hockey enthusiasts  these results may not apply to other sports   Khairy  said. There are too many elements that differ among sports â such as the pace of the game  a fan's emotional attachment to a team  and even the number of high-intensity moments â that prevent researchers from making similar generalizations   he  said.
A fan's emotional reaction to a game can be intense   Khairy  said  and that could trigger cardiovascular problems.
Fans who experience cardiac symptoms during a game should seek immediate medical attention rather than waiting for a convenient moment  such as in-between periods   Khairy  said. Many arenas and ice rinks have cardiac defibrillators on hand  as well as people trained in using them   he  added.
The excitement of sports is likely responsible for the observed increases in heart rate  said study author Dr.  [TGT]   a cardiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute.
But the new study is the first to demonstrate that the ambience of a live game â being surrounded by cheering fans  being closer to the action and experiencing an increased level of engagement â may all contribute to the heightened emotional stress response in fans   Khairy  told Live Science.
In the study  the heart rates of fans who watched a hockey game in person increased by 110 percent  on average  from their resting heart rates. That's comparable to the increase you'd see in someone running  jumping rope or doing any other vigorous form of exercise   Khairy  said.
Fans who watched the same game on TV had a 75 percent increase in their heart rates  on average  which is similar to the heart rates seen with moderate physical activity  such as a casual bike ride   Khairy  noted.
Surprisingly  a person's interest in the sport and engagement as a fan were not linked to changes in heart rate during the game   Khairy  said. However   he  added that  he  suspects there might have been a different result if researchers had developed their own way to measure passion in hockey fans rather than adapting a tool originally designed for soccer spectators.
Although fans watching any sport can experience a similar amount of excitement as was observed in this group of hockey enthusiasts  these results may not apply to other sports   Khairy  said. There are too many elements that differ among sports â such as the pace of the game  a fan's emotional attachment to a team  and even the number of high-intensity moments â that prevent researchers from making similar generalizations   he  said.
A fan's emotional reaction to a game can be intense   Khairy  said  and that could trigger cardiovascular problems.
Fans who experience cardiac symptoms during a game should seek immediate medical attention rather than waiting for a convenient moment  such as in-between periods   Khairy  said. Many arenas and ice rinks have cardiac defibrillators on hand  as well as people trained in using them   he  added.