The first goal of the match – Kane’s penalty – is a good example.
My heart rate cruised through most of the match in the low to mid-50 beats per minute but “literally within half a second” of Kane scoring my heart rate rose to 69 beats per minute.
Blood pressure went up too and there was less carbon dioxide in the air I was breathing out suggesting I was “hyperventilating a little” says Bailey and that led to a “reduction in blood flow into the brain”.
And my saliva tests show levels of the stress hormone cortisol went from a chilled out 4.19 nmol/L before the match to a slightly stressed 5.15 nmol/L at the final whistle.
Altogether this shows a classic stress response in the body. When we talk about stress we often think about “bad stress” from work or exams or juggling-a-billion-things-at-once.
But Bailey says you can have good stress too. From an evolutionary perspective “stress is what keeps us alive” by activating our flight-or-fight response.
Bailey says my readings are like a “mild form of exercise” – just without burning any calories.
“You are elevating things that I would interpret as good for you, and you’re recovering very quickly”.
So there you have it, watching England is good for my health, however, there is a but. The same won’t be true for everyone.
I have a relatively low stress response that “is almost Special Forces… you really are a cool customer I must say”, says Bailey.
“You keep yourself physically active, you keep yourself in good shape.”