Fever Pitch

So is sport good for you? Or is it bad for you? It may depend on how much beer you drink, or whether you have a shoulder to cry on. Claire Keeton reports

Today is the final day of the World Cup and many South Africans are facing soccer-fever withdrawal: winter nights devoid of games to watch with friends and family.

The World Cup has given rise to national waves of euphoria - those moments when Bafana Bafana scored against Mexico and beat France - as well as heartbreak and tears. There weren't many dry eyes when Ghana were knocked out by Uruguay during a penalty shootout.

These highs and lows, shared around a big or small screen or at the stadiums, have united fans. The daily conversation around the coffee machine has been dominated by soccer among men and women alike.

The social bonding that comes from supporting a team is undoubtedly the major benefit of being a soccer fan - and the positive spin-off of this connectedness seems to balance out any potential health risks.

Joburg sports physician Dr Jon Patricios says: "From a medical and experiential point of view, certain aspects are not good for your health - the food at matches, the mid-week alcohol, late nights and missing exercise sessions. But the odd lousy hot dog or beer is not so bad, and from a spiritual point of view it is uplifting. Like any life experience, the pros and cons depend on the overall experience and for most of us that's been great."

Foreign fans interviewed by Lifestyle share Patricios's enthusiastic view. German Helmuth Laws is well qualified to compare World Cups after attending 14 since 1954 (he missed Chile in 1962). He has enjoyed all aspects of this trip. "I'm the oldest traveller in our group," says Laws, 79, who comes from a village near Hamburg. "The organisation has been wonderful."

A midfielder and referee for 57 years, Laws appears to be a testimony to the theory that supporting soccer leads to a healthy life.

This is not his first visit to South Africa in the name of soccer. In 1995, he came to watch South Africa's first international match post-apartheid against Germany. Unlike many supporters, however, he watches the games with a cool head and heart. "I'm always relaxed and cool; free from any emotion," he says.

The value of staying calm is evident from one study, which found that the fans of losing teams are more vulnerable to heart attacks than those of winning teams.

Dr Graham Ellis, a cardiologist from Somerset West, says: "An outburst of anger or rage, especially in young men, has been shown to be associated with increased occurrence of heart attacks in the two hours following the outburst. Patients at high risk may be advised to avoid unnecessarily stressful situations. Attention to good control of blood pressure and cholesterol are essential."

Although intense feelings during matches can strain the heart, research on how watching sport affects the heart and emotions has mixed results.

One study shows the most euphoria was experienced by fans when their team's success hung on a thread and then they won. Remember the exhilaration when Ghana beat the US in extra time by two goals to one?

On the other hand, watching Italy get knocked out of the World Cup can't have been good for the health of the Italian fan dressed in a bikini in the Joburg cold.

Another fan of the Italian team, Amanda Li, 28, from China said she had travelled to South Africa to support them and was saddened by their early defeat. But it gave her the motivation to visit South African friends.

The World Cup has brought friends from across the world together. Five Spanish supporters said they had flown in from India, Dubai and Syria for a reunion. German fan Marcel Flohrer, 21, from Reitzig was able to offer his friend Philipp Schellenburg, also 21, a free trip to the World Cup after winning two tickets.

Flohrer, who made the best predictions on who would win the local soccer league, says: "The atmosphere was fantastic at the Germany vs Ghana match. All the fans were happy - both teams made it through the next round after this match - and we had a big party at the stadium.

"The South Africans have been very friendly and football unites people from all countries."

But it's not only watching soccer that can boost your health - playing the game promotes both mental wellbeing and physical fitness.

Take a tip from the doctor. To lessen the symptoms of World Cup withdrawal, Patricios says: "Take up some sort of sport or exercise and you will feel the benefits."