The Chemistry of A Sports Team

Written by: Ameya Vathanan

Edited by: Navika Mittal

A loud cheer burst through the quiet of a Sunday afternoon on the upper fields of CHMS. Ardrey Kell had just won their first inter-school cricket league match against Marvin Ridge High School. With a lot of high-fives, fist bumping, and chest thumping, we celebrated our win.

What had transformed the motley crew of 11 students who had shown up that afternoon into a match-winning team within a couple of hours? We were an inexperienced bunch: some of us claimed we could bat, yet others had had a little practice with bowling, but most of us could call ourselves fielders at best. What an onlooker would pass off as a lucky win, a chemist would see

as a string of biochemical processes occurring within our bodies that enabled us to win as a team.

C₈H₁₁NO₂ - Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, often referred to as the "feel-good" chemical, that plays a key role in the brain's reward system. Every time a team member took a wicket or hit a sixer, it was the release of Dopamine that made us run to the centre of the field to celebrate the achievement. It also, in turn, made us stay motivated and focused. The more we felt happy about each small achievement on the field, made us want to repeat it, which resulted in each one of us striving to bowl the perfect line or hit the next loose ball over the fence. 

C₄₃H₆₆N₁₂O₁₂S - Oxytocin

Oxytocin is yet another hormone and neurotransmitter, also known as the “bonding hormone”.

It's released by hugging, cheering, and high-fives, especially amongst team members. Not only is Oxytocin released with teamwork, but it also has a double effect by then strengthening the bonds of trust and camaraderie between team members. It is the cohesive force that was turning a group of 11 who had rarely played together into a team.

C₉H₁₃NO₃ - Adrenaline 

Adrenaline is another neurotransmitter that is released during sports and high-intensity exercises. Before a big match or competition in a team sport, it is also the spike in adrenaline that prepares the team both mentally and physically for the challenge. It allows team members to have quick reactions, fast decisions, and receive subtle signals from their team members to respond to their actions. It plays a key role in the match-winning performance of every team.

While many studies have been done on big major teams, be it the IPL (Indian Premier League)

In the NFL (National Football League) or the NBA (National Basketball League), there have been many key factors that have shown how some teams win consistently while other teams struggle. Studies have proven that winning teams have something far more intangible than just the skills of their star players or the funding and resources available to that team; it is the plain and simple chemistry.