Welcome to Spoho: An inspiring winter semester begins!

Welcome to Spoho: An inspiring winter semester begins!

The German Sport University Cologne (DSHS) ceremoniously welcomed its new students to the RheinEnergieStadion on October 7th, 2025. This celebratory event was moderated by Robby Hunke, a graduate of the sports college and experienced sports reporter. Hunke welcomed the freshmen with motivating words and emphasized the importance of studying for their own sporting and professional future.

In his speech, the rector of the DSHS, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ansgar Thiel, highlights the central role of exercise and sporting activity in an increasingly digitalized world. Thiel referred to the essential function of sports scientists, who will become increasingly important in the coming years. Also Vice-Rector Univ.-Prof. Dr. Bettina Rulofs and the chairman of the General Student Committee (AStA), Nils Lange, addressed greetings to the new students and highlighted the diverse possibilities of studying at Spoho.

Career paths after graduation

Frederick Becker, sustainability manager at 1. FC Köln, and Vladyslav Moschenski, head coach of the U17 juniors, gave the students exciting insights into possible career prospects after graduation. This illustrated the bridge between theory and practice, which is particularly encouraged at DSHS.

A highlight of the event was the lecture by PD Dr. Sylvain Jean Pascal Laborde from the Psychological Institute. Laborde provided information about the vagus nerve and its crucial role in regulating stress, relaxation and recovery in sport. He humorously demonstrated the activation of the vagus nerve with a singing performance. The vagus nerve is considered a key player for athletes to achieve better stress resilience and faster recovery.

Scientific findings on stress regulation

The vagus nerve activates the parasympathetic nervous system and is central to stress regulation and promoting physical recovery. High vagus nerve activity is associated with improved heart rate variability (HRV), which in turn correlates with better health. Studies also show that breathing techniques that activate the vagus nerve help athletes improve their performance and reduce anxiety before competitions. These techniques include 4-7-8 breathing and abdominal breathing, which can be easily incorporated into any workout routine.

Sports psychology is continually investigating the “stress buffering effect” of sports activity on health. Studies have already found evidence that athletes can cope with physiological stress responses better than non-athletes. An ongoing project at the Freiburg Sports Institute aims to clarify how sport can reduce the negative effects of chronic stress. Initial results show that participation in sports programs reduces physiological stress reactions and has positive health effects.

During the event, the new students had the opportunity to pick up freshmen's bags and find out more about sports clubs, university groups and partner institutions at the information stands. The DSHS wishes all students an inspiring winter semester 2025/26 and much success on their academic path.

For further information on the topics of the vagus nerve and stress management in sport as well as their scientific basis, we refer to the articles in Sports Mental Academy and des Sports Institute of the University of Freiburg.