Quality of Life as Perceived by Elite Mountain Athletes in Spain

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity is a great remedy to prevent diseases, as well as to keep us healthy and improve our physical, mental, and social health. One of the many benefits of physical exercise is emotional regulation, which allows us to provide an adequate response to everyday situations in addition to controlling our own emotions. High-level athletes face multifactorial stressors that can affect their quality of life. Materials and Methods: We explored the relationship between quality of life and emotional regulation using questionnaires that measure self-reported quality of life and how they cope with stressful situations in 54 mountain athletes with a mean age of 21.88 (SD = 7.88). We also investigated gender differences and demographic location in this population, as they are subjected to very high moments of stress in competition, with the risk that this modality entails. Results: Rural areas have better physical and psychological health, with higher scores on quality of life and adaptation dimensions. Women have a worse quality of life, specifically in psychological health, with worse coping mechanisms. Conclusions: It is important to design strategies that improve these mechanisms, specifically in urban areas and the female sex, to improve their emotional regulation and quality of life.