# What really happens to your Body and Brain when you play FIFA?

URL: https://technosports.co.in/what-really-happens-to-your-body-and-brain-when-you-play-fifa/  
Published: 2020-10-23  
Updated: 2020-10-23  
Author: Rahul Roy

## Could playing FIFA really be good for our health?

Researchers at [The University of Leeds](https://biologicalsciences.leeds.ac.uk/school-biomedical-sciences/staff/150/dr-andrea-utley) **investigated what really goes on inside our mind and body when playing FIFA. **

Despite the game being renowned for causing rage in its players, results showed **a reduction in stress and anxiety post-play for all participants. **They also found that in certain conditions, playing the game can **raise your heart rate to levels that equate to a moderate work-out. **

## The research reveals:

- **When a goal was scored there was a spike in heart rate, **this tended to be higher when the opposition scored which is indicative of a** surge in emotion**
- All players demonstrated an increase in heart rate whilst playing the game
- Heart rate responses were more elevated across the board when playing against an unknown player, **reaching levels of a moderate cardio workout** when goals were scored on either side
- Blood pressure was slightly elevated after a game against an unknown player, indicating a level of anxiety and frustration
- **70% of participants had an elevated heart rate for the duration of the game once the opposition had scored**
- Despite all of the above factors, **all participants reported a reduction in state anxiety post-playing.**

![](https://images.technosports.co.in/2020/10/1-417x1024.png)

Playing against an **unknown player who really exists** clearly caused a higher level of arousal, and goals scored against participants in those games had a marked impact on heart rate. 

The **heart rate spikes in this condition approached up to 140 beats per minute**, indicating a real surge in emotional activity when a goal is scored. This kind of escalation is comparative to what individuals within the participant’s age range would see when engaging in a moderate cardio work-out such as a brisk walk (around 135 BPM).

![](https://images.technosports.co.in/2020/10/2-14-1024x883.jpg)

Despite blood pressure and heart rate results both indicating a **surge in emotional activity and rage when playing the game**, participants across the board pre and post all indicated a decline in anxiety. This shows that despite the commonality of experiencing “FIFA Rage”, **playing the game can actually reduce the players’ perception of stress and anxiety.**

You can find the full study here: [https://www.casino.org/blog/real-effects-of-playing-fifa/](https://www.casino.org/blog/real-effects-of-playing-fifa/)

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/10/18/fifa-21-the-best-laliga-fut-starter-team-under-100k-coins/