e070 Hacking the stress system

Faculty of Sports Studies
spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
David William Mac Gillavry, Ph.D., M.A. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
David William Mac Gillavry, Ph.D., M.A.
Department of Physical Education and Social Sciences – Faculty of Sports Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. František Hurt
Supplier department: Department of Physical Education and Social Sciences – Faculty of Sports Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
BOZP_OK(bozp_po_stud_fsps)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 20 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/20, only registered: 0/20, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/20
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and function of the stress response, as well as practical methods to optimise this response for better performance. Students will learn that the stress response is a double edged sword that can be incredibly harmful to both short-term performance and long-term health, or a tool with which to tackle complex problems under time pressure.
Learning outcomes
After successful completion of the course students will have a both a theoretical basis and a set of practically applicable techniques, with which the stress response can be optimised for performance in both oneself and others.
Syllabus
  • Introduction to the course and the evolutionary basics of stress (L)
  • Social stress, reproduction and hierarchy (L)
  • On the genetics and epigenetics of stress resilience / sensitivity (L)
  • On the intersection between culture and stress (L)
  • Your stress in a wider context (S)
  • Why stress makes you stupid, most of the time (L)
  • Depression, PTSD and anxiety (L)
  • On the psychology of lying, deceit, and how stress makes it all much worse (L)
  • What stresses you and why? (S)
  • Lifestyle and stress I: Nutrition & Sleep (L)
  • Lifestyle and stress II: Sport & Social connections (L)
  • How can you optimise resilience? (S)
  • Optimising the stress response for greater performance (L)
  • Practical solutions for stress management (S)
Teaching methods
lectures, class discussion, experience with practically applicable techniques, reading, a term paper
Assessment methods
Be here, be active & be prepared :)
A term paper:
Min 8 pages (2.0 spacing)
Proper bibliography and referencing (preferably APA)
Subject of your choosing as long as it relates to stress and peak performance
Language of instruction
English
The course is also listed under the following terms spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (spring 2025, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fsps/spring2025/e070