Psychophysiological characteristics of university students in dual career conditions

Introduction. Preserving young people's health is a priority state task. Students who are professionally engaged in sports experience enormous loads that can cause stress and unstable mental states. Aim: to identify psychophysiological characteristics of university students that combine sports and educational activities. Materials and methods. The research involved 60 male athletes during the academic year (mean age 19 ± 1.2 years). The data obtained in students with an individual schedule was compared with those obtained in students with a general curriculum. The following methods were used: self-regulation style, simple visual-motor reaction (NS-Psycho-Test, NeuroSoft, Ivanovo), and estimation of adaptive potential. The general level of self-regulation (GLS), the functional level of the system (FLS) (an integral indicator of a simple visual-motor reaction), and adaptive potential (AP) were analyzed. The research results were processed using spreadsheets from the Microsoft Excel program (Microsoft Office, 2017). The statistical significance of the data obtained was checked with nonparametric statistical tests: the Wilcoxon rank sum test (for related samples) and the Mann-Whitney test (for unrelated samples). The reliability of relative values was calculated using the Facilitated methods of statistical analysis in clinical medicine (Clinic) program. Results. It was found that the psychophysiological characteristics of university students professionally involved in sports vary depending on the form of the educational process. Thus, students with an individual schedule have less severe changes in their self-regulation, functional level, and adaptive potential. By the end of the academic year, the psychophysiological characteristics of students with a general curriculum demonstrated significant negative changes in the functional level and adaptive potential and increased self-regulation. Conclusion. The research results both available in the literature and obtained by us indicate the need for monitoring the psychophysiological characteristics of students' adaptation in dual career conditions and a personalized, flexible approach to educational activities. The results can be used in education and sports for the development of more effective measures to promote dual careers among university students.