Sex differences in autonomic response and situational appraisal of a competitive situation in young adults

•Laboratory competition was related to high SNS activation in comparison with non-competitive situation.•Winners exhibit a greater R-R interval reactivity and recovery than Losers.•Losers presented higher frustration and external attribution than Winners.•Men had greater cardiovascular response and perceived a lower opponent’s capacity and a greater own capacity than Women.•In men and women, perceived opponent capacity was associated with a greater R-R reactivity. Competition is a social stressor capable of eliciting physiological responses modulated by the outcome. The main objective of this study was to analyze the psychophysiological changes associated with competition and its outcome in men and women, taking into account the role of situational appraisal. To this end, 112 young people (46 men and 66 women) participated in a laboratory task in a competitive or non-competitive condition, while Blood Pressure (BP), Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and Skin Conductance (SC) responses were measured. Our results indicate that competition elicits higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) than a non-competitive task; in addition, winners presented a greater R-R decrease from baseline to task, greater R-R Recovery, and lower frustration and external attribution than losers. Regarding sex, men perceived their opponent’s capacity to be lower and their own capacity to be greater than women did, and they also showed higher R-R decreases and lower SC increases. In conclusion, we found a complex pattern of different psychophysiological responses to competition associated with outcome and sex in a laboratory competition. This result could be related to the use of more passive or active coping strategies.