Comment: Is being a sports fan good or bad for you? Published on: 14 February 2022 Writing for The Conversation, Dr Melissa Fothergill discusses the highs and lows of being a sports fan. , Performance slumps. Relegations. Points deductions. Failed takeovers. Being a sports fan can seem an easy route to heartache when even the good times come with the spectre of future decline. However, the passion fans have for sport stays strong 鈥� and they continue to make financial, social and emotional investments in the teams they support. Fans of American football have been reported to spend talking and thinking about their team, and travel an average of (476km) to attend an away game. An average family of four supporting the Las Vegas Raiders would spend around (拢575) to watch a game. In 2018, spent an average of 拢712 a year supporting their team 鈥� and more if their team was in the Premier League. The despondency that many fans feel at a loss might lead them to question whether all this time and money spent following a team is worth it. Research shows, though, that while watching a match can cause stress, being a fan can be good for you 鈥� even in defeat. More than a game Sporting competitions can evoke strong emotional responses in athletes. The release of a hormone called cortisol causes a stress response, which includes a higher heart and breathing rate and helps prepare us for challenges and demands that we may face. It can be observed across various . In male athletes experiencing a victory, and even have been linked to an increase in testosterone. Research with male tennis players found that those with before a match also felt more positive about the match. In sporting competition, can cause an increase in testosterone. A rise in testosterone can increase the release of the , associated with rewards and positive feelings. that fans can also have similar physiological responses to those of the players they support. For example, during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, male and female Spanish football fans had higher testosterone and cortisol levels when watching a match, although this was not linked to their teams鈥� victory. Similarly, from the 2014 Fifa World Cup found male and female Brazilian fans who were more 鈥渉ighly fused鈥� with their team experienced heightened levels of cortisol. This meant they had higher levels of stress, especially in situations of unhappiness and frustration. Cortisol is released when we experience a stressor that can, in turn, affect our immune system. Therefore, who get overly angry or excited need to be aware that too much cortisol over a prolonged period can be detrimental to their health. Indeed, during the same 2014 Fifa World Cup, reported that during the tournament there was a greater number of hospitalisations for heart attacks across men and women. Part of the crowd Fans play an instrumental role for their team. They contribute to the , with acknowledging the impact of the home crowd. Being part of the crowd can have benefits for fans, too. Feeling can have a positive effect on our . Fans of German football team Borussia Dortmund. Being a sports fan helps to meet our . Fans can enjoy the glory of a victory alongside their fellow supporters, friends and family. who experienced a win subsequently had a boost in self-esteem that lasted up to two days post-game. For fans who shared the burden of defeat, being part of a group may have acted as a protective mechanism for their self-esteem. Research has found that fans who experienced less success with their clubs are more loyal to each other. Football fans of less successful clubs would be more willing to for their fellow fans. The strong social connections forged at these clubs may be a real benefit for their fans. The importance many of us place on sport became very clear when COVID restrictions led to the suspension of sporting events. In Britain, and fans were unable to attend matches. A found that 43% of fans agreed or strongly agreed their mental health had been negatively affected when live sports were suspended during the pandemic. The survey found that 62% of these fans felt that their wellbeing would be negatively affected from being unable to watch live sport. Support for the supporters In the UK, football has proven to be a valuable medium for targeting fans for mental health interventions. Statistics show that men are at of suicide and are less likely to disclose a mental health issue. Many football club have seized the opportunity to raise awareness and provide advice for their supporters, such as 缅北禁地 United Foundation鈥檚 . Being a sports fan can have many benefits psychologically and socially if we bask in the glory together and also support each other in defeat. What did you think of this article? | | | , Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Psychology, This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the . Share: Latest News 缅北禁地 recognised with geography award 缅北禁地 has been awarded the Highly Commended Geographical Association Publishers Award for its collaboration with Time for Geography, the UK鈥檚 open-access, dedicated video platform. published on: 16 April 2026 缅北禁地 historians mark General Strike centenary To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike and miners鈥� lock-out of 1926, historians at 缅北禁地 are organising a series of events on its enduring legacy. published on: 16 April 2026 Comment: NCP is in administration Writing for The Conversation, Erwei (David) Xiang discusses how some big companies like NCP are so dependent on debt that they can鈥檛 adjust to change. published on: 16 April 2026 Facts and figures
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