Physiological arousal effects on pain perception in elite male and female endurance and strength athletes

Authors

  • Aneseh Firouz MSc in sport psychology, Department of Behavioral, Cognitive and Technology Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
  • Raed Abdulameer Abbas Al-Mashhadi Responsible of Sport activities, College of Materials Engineering, University of Babylon, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6114-9325
  • Elham Azimzadeh Assistant professor of motor behavior, Department of Behavioral, Cognitive and Technology Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9838-0117

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v81.117671

Keywords:

Arousal, cold pressor task, endurance athletes, pain perception, strength athletes

Abstract

Introduction: Sports performance depends on pain, arising from three elements: physiology, cognition, and emotion. Arousal significantly affects pain perception in competition, as athletes must regulate physical exertion and emotional stress.

Objective: The present study aims to determine the effect of physiological arousal on pain perception in elite male and female endurance and strength athletes.

Methodology: A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to evaluate 63 participants categorized as endurance athletes, strength athletes, or non-athletes. The measurement of pain included the Cold Pressor Task, which had participants experience durability testing through virtual reality boxing simulations that replicated competitive conditions. The researchers examined heart rate to measure physiological arousal.

Results: Pain threshold and tolerance measured through Analysis of Covariance showed important distinctions between groups (p = 0.001 for both variables), (F= 78.67; 117.51), respectively. Non-athletes' scores grew after arousal, but endurance and strength athletes showed declines in these measurements after the intervention. Gender did not influence the results measured for pain perception during the study.

Discussion: Present study indicates that arousal produces unique effects on pain sensitivity based on whether participants belong to athletic or non-athletic groups because their bodies have different ways of responding to stress and the physiology of endogenous opioids together with mental conditioning mechanics.

Conclusions: No significant differences in pain perception were observed between the two athlete groups. Non-athletes exhibited significant improvements in pain threshold and tolerance, aligning with previous research findings.

Author Biographies

  • Aneseh Firouz, MSc in sport psychology, Department of Behavioral, Cognitive and Technology Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Aneseh Firouz  holds an MSc degree in Sport Psychology from Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. Her research focuses on the psychophysiological aspects of pain perception in elite athletes, particularly the effects of different training regimens on stress and pain modulation

     

  • Raed Abdulameer Abbas Al-Mashhadi, Responsible of Sport activities, College of Materials Engineering, University of Babylon, Iraq.

    Dr. Raed Abdulameer Abbas Al-Mashhadi hols a PhD in Physical Education and sport science and is Responsible of Sport activities at the College of Materials Engineering at the University of Babylon 

  • Elham Azimzadeh, Assistant professor of motor behavior, Department of Behavioral, Cognitive and Technology Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

    Dr. Elham Azimzadeh is an Assistant Professor of Motor Behavior in the Department of Behavioral, Cognitive and Technology Sciences in Sport at the Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. Her research focuses on the psychophysiological mechanisms underlying human performance, with particular expertise in pain perception, physiological arousal, and the effects of athletic training on cognitive-motor processes. Dr. Azimzadeh utilizes advanced methodologies such as virtual reality and psychophysiological monitoring to investigate stress and performance in elite athletes. Her work aims to bridge theoretical insights with practical applications to enhance athletic performance and well-being.

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Published

19-05-2026

Issue

Vol. 81 (2026)

Section

Original Research Article

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Copyright (c) 2026 Aneseh Firouz, Raed Abdulameer Abbas Al-Mashhadi, Elham Azimzadeh

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How to Cite

Firouz, A., Al-Mashhadi, R. A. A., & Azimzadeh, E. (2026). Physiological arousal effects on pain perception in elite male and female endurance and strength athletes. Retos, 81, 68-76. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v81.117671