Social resources and mood among masters track and field athletes

Abstract

Little is known about athletes' social resources. Social support may be important for athletes because it may enhance training motivation and because athletic participation may have undesirable effects on the athlete's social resources. This study examined the independent and joint associations of social support, the social context of training, and training frequency with mood. Data are from a survey of 587 Masters track and field athletes, with comparisons to a race, gender, and age-matched subsample of a general population survey (N = 323). Social support was generally unrelated to training intensity, but was associated with the social context of exercise (whom the athlete exercised with). Specifically, married athletes who trained with their spouse reported more marital support, and athletes who trained with friends reported more friends and more support from friends. Social support was independently associated with favorable mood, and training frequency was independently associated with low depression and high vigor. The association of the size of the athlete's kinship network with mood was stronger for athletes who trained less frequently, suggesting that either this form of social integration or physical activity is sufficient protection against undesirable mood states. The results highlight the importance of the social context of athletic participation, and suggest that both social support and physical activity, and in some cases either one or the other, are associated with improvements in athletes' moods.