Institute of Sport Science

Current research projects

Physical activity and interoception

Principal investigator Prof. Dr. Mirko Schmidt
Staff Amie Wallman-Jones
Collaborations Prof. Dr. Manos Tsakiris, University of London, UK and University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Prof. Dr. Pandelis Perakakis, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Physical activity and interoception (2018-2022)

Oberstufenschülerinnen und -schüler bewegen sich im Schulzimmer während des Unterrichts.
Zwischendurch den Puls erhöhen: Sport als Teil des Unterrichts am Oberstufenzentrum Orpund bei Biel. (NZZ, 16. Dezember 2021) Bild: Marco Zanoni

Physical education had always had the task of enabling children and adolescents to experience a variety of movements in order to train their body awareness. Interoception, defined as the sense of the internal bodily state (e.g. heart rate), plays a critical role in the multifaceted concept of wellbeing; physical, cognitive, emotional and social. Regarding physical well-being, contemporary models of exercise regulation incorporate interoceptive processes in the regulation of exertion during physical activity. In addition, enhancing one’s physiological arousal by means of physical activity is a viable way of manipulating the afferent input entering the interoceptive system, appearing to optimise the integration of early sensory stimulation with later affective responses. Despite this, the relationship between physical activity and self-regulation is underrepresented in interoceptive research. The present project addresses this gap by integrating findings from different disciplines to support the overlapping mechanisms. Following from an initial theoretical review of the current literature, our experimental lab and field studies explore the mechanistic underpinnings of this relationship, aiming to develop a better understanding of how interoceptive processes influence, and are influenced by, physical activity. Further, we aim to reveal how such mechanisms are influenced by different baseline factors (e.g. stress). Developing our understanding of how interoceptive processes are shaped by physical activity could hold significant clinical implications considering the impact of aberrant interoception to mental health and well-being.

School-based physical activity and children’s cognitive functioning

Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Mirko Schmidt
Staff  Sofia Anzeneder
Funding Eccellenza; Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF): 435'372 CHF

School-based physical activity and children’s cognitive functioning (2019-2024)

Even though the beneficial effects of regular physical activity on children’s physical and mental health are well known, the empirical evidence is insufficient to explain under which conditions these effects occur. The present SNF Eccellenza-project investigates how school-based physical activity should be designed to promote primary school children’s physical and cognitive functions. The main aim is to answer the question, which duration and which level of cognitive challenge school-based physical activity interventions should have to promote children’s cognitive functions. To answer this question, experiments in the schools will be realized. A first project, which is more on the basic research side, will shed light on the dose-response relationship between the characteristics of a cognitively engaging physical activity and cognition. In a second project, which is more on the applied research side, the focus will be on the transfer of the new insights to the real world of the school setting. This should result in recommendations for practitioners and developers of school-based physical activity interventions. In both projects the physical activity consists of an exergame (a portmanteau of “exercise” and “game”), that stimulates an active, whole-body gaming experience and enables to manipulate the physical and cognitive demands of the physical activity. The exergame was developed specifically for this project in collaboration with the FitTech Startup Sphery and consists of a “jump & run game”.

Physical activity and interoception

Principal investigator Prof. Dr. Mirko Schmidt
Staff Amie Wallman-Jones
Collaborations Prof. Dr. Manos Tsakiris, University of London, UK and University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Prof. Dr. Pandelis Perakakis, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Physical activity and interoception (2018-2022)

Physical education had always had the task of enabling children and adolescents to experience a variety of movements in order to train their body awareness. Interoception, defined as the sense of the internal bodily state (e.g. heart rate), plays a critical role in the multifaceted concept of wellbeing; physical, cognitive, emotional and social. Regarding physical well-being, contemporary models of exercise regulation incorporate interoceptive processes in the regulation of exertion during physical activity. In addition, enhancing one’s physiological arousal by means of physical activity is a viable way of manipulating the afferent input entering the interoceptive system, appearing to optimise the integration of early sensory stimulation with later affective responses. Despite this, the relationship between physical activity and self-regulation is underrepresented in interoceptive research. The present project addresses this gap by integrating findings from different disciplines to support the overlapping mechanisms. Following from an initial theoretical review of the current literature, our experimental lab and field studies explore the mechanistic underpinnings of this relationship, aiming to develop a better understanding of how interoceptive processes influence, and are influenced by, physical activity. Further, we aim to reveal how such mechanisms are influenced by different baseline factors (e.g. stress). Developing our understanding of how interoceptive processes are shaped by physical activity could hold significant clinical implications considering the impact of aberrant interoception to mental health and well-being.

Program Evaluation Open Gyms

Chief Investigator Dr. Simon Endes (Ecoplan)
Principal Investigators Prof. Dr. Mirko Schmidt, Prof. Dr. Claudio Nigg, Prof. Dr. Susi Kriemler
Staff Carina Nigg
Funding Health Promotion Switzerland: 95‘000 CHF 

Program Evaluation Open Gyms (2019-2021)

There are several factors that influence children’s physical activity, including available physical activity programs and their quality. To promote children’s physical activity through the winter, the organization “Chindaktiv” collaborated with RADIX to establish the program “Ä Halle wo’s fägt” while the foundation Ideésport established the physical activity program “MiniMove”. Both programs provide an opportunity for children between 0 and 6 years to be physically active for about two hours in gyms close to their home. Funded through “Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz” (Health Promotion Switzerland), we collaborate with Ecoplan and the University of Zurich to evaluate children’s physical activity during the program at selected locations. During both programs, children’s physical activity will be observed at different program locations and also assessed via accelerometry. In addition, physical skills that are promoted and social interactions that occur during the program will be evaluated. Also, the socio-economic status of the participating children will be assessed to evaluate social participation and inclusion. At all selected locations, assessment will take place at the beginning (October/November 2020) as well as at the end (February/March 2021) of the winter seasons to evaluate changes over time.

Physical activity and COVID-19

Principal investigator  Dr. Valentin Benzing

Physical activity and COVID-19

The effects of the corona pandemic on public life are omnipresent. Distance and hygiene rules have been introduced, and in some cases masks have even become compulsory. Already in spring 2020, at the beginning of the spread of corona pandemic in Switzerland, schools were closed and a general "lock-down" was introduced. During this time, there was usually no school and no physical education. Children and adolescents were often denied access to sports facilities, sports activities and playgrounds. Although the opportunities for doing sports were restricted, there was also more time for exercise. The question therefore arises on the part of science and politics as to whether the "lock-down" and the current situation have an influence on physical activity and whether this leads to an in- or decrease. Against the background of a higher psychological stress during the current situation, the effects of a possible change in physical activity on psychological well-being are of interest. We are currently investigating these and other questions regarding physical activity and COVID-19 in children and we are part of an international research collaboration (initiated by Prof. Dr. Ralf Brand, University of Potsdam) which focuses adults.

Exergaming and cognitive functions

Principal investigator Dr. Valentin Benzing
Funding Burgergemeinde Bern: 3'000 CHF

Exergaming and cognitive functions (2020 - today)

Physically active breaks are seen as a way of restoring and even increasing cognitive performance after a strenuous work phase. Although the empirical evidence for this is steadily increasing, there are also some studies that have not been able to prove a positive effect of exercise breaks on cognitive performance at all, or even detected a negative effect. Differences in the characteristics of physical activity are postulated as one reason for the positive or negative effect of physical activity. For example, it is assumed that quantitative characteristics such as intensity and duration during exercise can have an influence on cognitive performance. Furthermore, it is also assumed that qualitative characteristics, such as the type of physical activity, can have a positive influence on cognitive performance. The dose-response relationship between qualitative and quantitative characteristics can be studied well in a controlled laboratory setting. Therefore, in these studies, exergaming (active video gaming) is used to test theoretical assumptions on underlying mechanisms, to systematically manipulate characteristics of physical activities and to investigate their influence on perception and cognitive performance. Initial studies were supported by a grant from the Burgergemeinde Bern.