Good news has arrived for anxious football fans: scientists have found that pizza can help reduce nervousness during a game. In a recent study, Pitch Side podcast host Theo Baker was monitored while experiencing a series of tense football moments. Researchers measured his blood pressure, heart rate, and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), a test used to assess emotional state.
Initially, without any pizza, Baker’s levels fluctuated significantly, showing several spikes. However, these readings were notably more stable and consistently lower once he began to smell a pizza baking in the oven. His calmness persisted as he enjoyed a slice of stuffed crust salt and pepper chicken pizza.
Professor Oli Buckley from the University of East Anglia, who collaborated on the study with Chicago Town, the UK’s top-selling frozen pizza brand, commented, “Pizza and football go hand-in-hand.”
