Very few people realize that exercise during pregnancy is good for both mother and baby and can even specifically help prevent illnesses. Many pregnant women are unsure whether and for how long they can continue their favorite sport, and how they can tell what’s good for them and their baby. In episode #26 of the podcast “Eine Runde mit…,” Marion Sulprizio from the Working Group on Sports and Pregnancy explains which sports are best suited, whether competitive sports are possible during pregnancy, and why pregnant women should exercise. There are many uncertainties and myths surrounding exercise during pregnancy. Yet it has been scientifically proven that exercise during pregnancy is good for both mother and baby and can even specifically help prevent illnesses. However, many pregnant women are unsure whether and for how long they can continue practicing their favorite sport, and how they can tell what’s good for them and their baby. In this “Podcast Special” for Mother’s Day, we speak with psychologist Marion Sulprizio. Marion is a research associate at the Institute of Psychology at the German Sport University Cologne and heads the Sports and Pregnancy Working Group. At the university, she advises female competitive athletes and expectant mothers on topics including exercise during pregnancy. In the podcast, she provides insights into the research: Why should pregnant women exercise? Which sports are particularly suitable? And: What about competitive sports during pregnancy? Marion also debunks the myth that “exercise makes breast milk sour.” https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uoHDgwCxfRHVvSX2jswmk

How does exercise affect the mother and child? Which recommendations are considered scientifically sound? And what are the potential risks? In their new reference book, “Exercise During Pregnancy: A Guide for Obstetric and Gynecological Counseling,” Marion Sulprizio and Jens Kleinert provide a comprehensive overview of the latest findings regarding exercise during and after pregnancy. The guide is aimed specifically at professionals in the fields of medicine, obstetrics, therapy, and sports science. In addition to the physiological effects of exercise, the book also examines psychological effects and provides specific training and counseling recommendations based on current studies. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-67952-4

Marion Sulprizio from the “Sports and Pregnancy” working group at the German Sport University Cologne appeared as an expert guest on the ZDF program “Volle Kanne.” In the interview, she spoke about the importance of exercise during pregnancy and highlighted the significance of physical activity for the mental health of (expectant) mothers. https://www.zdfheute.de/ratgeber/gesundheit/schwangerschaft-sport-mutter-gesundheit-risiken-100.html

At Macromedia University’s Resilience Day on November 12, 2025, Marion Sulprizio, at the invitation of Prof. Oliver Lohmar, presented the ideas behind MentalGestärkt to students and faculty. The focus was primarily on applying lessons from competitive sports to everyday life, dealing with pressure and one’s own expectations, and describing simple tools that are well-suited for prevention to promote and maintain mental health.

On February 20, 2025, MentalGestärkt will host its third major theme day in collaboration with the Working Group for Sports Psychology (asp) at the German Sport University in Cologne. The theme: “Injuries & Mental Health.” Three keynote speeches and presentations from the fields of sports psychology and psychotherapy on the aforementioned topics will be followed by a concluding panel discussion on how to address the issue: Keynote 1: A Scientific Perspective with Prof. Dr. Jens Kleinert Keynote 2: Personal account by Olympic gymnast Elisabeth Seitz Keynote 3: Insights from medicine with Dr. Maxime Lambert and Dr. Christophe Lambert Insight: From the Perspective of Sports Psychology and Psychotherapy with Lothar Linz Panel discussion with all speakers, moderated by Dr. Moritz Anderten Participation is recognized by the Working Group for Sports Psychology (asp) with 4 continuing education credits toward maintaining enrollment in the asp Expert Database for Coaching and Training in German Competitive Sports (EDL). Target audience: Sports psychologists, sports psychology experts, (sports) psychotherapists, (sports) psychiatrists, and sports scientists, as well as interested coaches and master’s students. Date: Friday, February 20, 2026, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in Rooms 96/97 of the NawiMed building at DSHS Cologne Cost: asp/dvs/BDP/ÖBS/SASP members: €119; interested individuals: €129; students: €99 Registration: Please contact Anja Kröger at the asp office at office@asp-sportpsychologie.org, specifying your billing address Up-to-date information is also available on Instagram at any time

As part of the Romanian Sports Science University Day in Cluj-Napoca, Prof. Markus Raab delivered a keynote address on applied sports psychology and demonstrated how research can be successfully applied in practice.

On October 7, 2025, students from a high school in Lower Saxony who had written their research papers on the topic of “Sports and Psychology” visited the Department of Health and Social Psychology. The goal was to gain insights into the research, application, and teaching conducted by the research group. To begin with, the students gained fascinating insights into ongoing laboratory studies on social-psychological topics, such as aggression and team conflicts. This was followed by presentations on various research projects, including “Mental Talent,” “Sports Psychology Assessment at 1. FC Köln,” and “ComeSport.” Another highlight of the program was an overview of sports psychology instruction in the various bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. The visit concluded with a Q&A session, during which the students had the opportunity to ask questions about the degree programs, research, and work at the German Sport University Cologne.

Under the theme “Sports Science—Diversity and Sustainability?!” the 27th University Sports Science Conference of the German Association for Sports Science (dvs) took place in Münster from September 16 to 19, 2025. The supporting program consisted of engaging keynote speeches, diverse workshops, and a poster session that aptly reflected the diversity of sports science. The Department of Health and Social Psychology was represented by Jens Kleinert, Ulrike Hartmann, and Juliane Mackenbrock with three presentations. Jens Kleinert spoke at the symposium “Sports Injury Research and Prevention in Germany” on the psychological aspects of sports injuries. Ulrike Hartmann and Juliane Mackenbrock presented two posters during the poster session on the research projects “MIPHa—Motiv-Image-Fit in Handball” and “Fostering Democratic Competence.” Kleinert, J. (2025). Psychological Aspects of Sports Injuries. [Presentation] Hartmann, U., Boss, M., Wiesen, T., & Kleinert, J. (2025). Motive-Image Analysis of Adolescents in Indoor Handball: Results of a Qualitative Study. [Poster] Mackenbrock, J., Hartmann, U., & Raven, H. (2025). Satisfaction of Prospective Physical Education Teachers with a Workshop on Promoting Democracy in Physical Education. [Poster]

What is the secret to success in sports, and how can athletes improve even further? Scientists are investigating these questions as part of the in:prove project, which was presented this weekend at the German federal government’s open house in Berlin. In competitive sports, athletes achieve peak performance—and continually surpass it. Technological progress influences this performance. But first and foremost, it comes from the athletes themselves, who dedicate their lives to competitive sports, train with discipline, demonstrate perseverance, and engage in injury prevention and rehabilitation. “We now assume that it is a combination of environment and innate predisposition that helps people achieve a certain level of performance. Many factors influence performance, such as nutrition, training diligence, genes, or cognitive functions like attention and working memory. What we don’t know is how these factors influence one another or how they are interdependent. Such a comprehensive picture—a combination of all this data—does not yet exist,” explains Prof. Markus Raab, head of the Department of Sports Psychology at the German Sport University Cologne. Prof. Markus Raab presented the in:prove project over the weekend at the German federal government’s Open House. Also in attendance was Christiane Schenderlein, a CDU member of the Bundestag, who has held the newly created position of Minister of State for Sports and Volunteer Work in the Federal Chancellery since May 2025. Prof. Markus Raab and his project colleague Prof. Karsten Krüger (University of Giessen) participated in two panel discussions, during which they presented the project’s latest findings and discussed the importance of competitive sports for Germany. Citizens and visitors to the open house were also able to take part in hands-on activities related to their own athletic performance and test their knowledge of the body and mind. How to make the best even better—this is the secret Raab hopes to uncover with his team and numerous project partners through in:prove. Researchers from three German universities have joined forces to form a research consortium called “Individualized Performance Development in Sports.” The in:prove project has been running since late 2021 and is funded by the Federal Institute for Sports Science (BISp) as part of the “Scientific Consortium for Competitive Sports (WVL)” with a total of two million euros over four years. In addition to the German Sport University Cologne, the Justus Liebig University Giessen (spokesperson Prof. Dr. Karsten Krüger) and Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (deputy spokesperson Prof. Dr. Karen Zentgraf) are participating. The researchers are collaborating with six Olympic sports federations and eight disciplines, collecting extensive data through various diagnostic methods. All data collected by the teams during the tests is entered into a database developed in-house. The combination of all this data is ultimately intended to help identify and systematically activate individual performance reserves.

How does one get started in elite sports? The EU project “HerForm” provides answers—with a digital learning platform specifically tailored to the needs of female athletes. The German Sport University Cologne is supporting the project as a key research partner. The EU project “HerForm” is currently developing an online platform—the first of its kind in Europe—that is specifically aimed at female athletes who are just beginning their careers in elite sports. The initiative will run for three years and is funded under the Erasmus+ program. Six international institutions—including the German Sport University Cologne—are pooling their expertise to develop a digital resource that addresses key life and career issues faced by elite female athletes. The centerpiece of the platform is a video-based online course lasting approximately ten hours, which will be available free of charge starting in December 2025. The content covers five subject areas—ranging from health and work-life balance to self-marketing and finances. The course is hosted by Claire Small, a former member of Ireland’s national rugby team who is now a physician and TV expert. The learning program will be accessible, multilingual, and available entirely online. The scientific basis for the course’s development comes from an international online survey of 132 female athletes from 17 countries. The survey covered 18 key career aspects. The results reveal a significant need for information on topics such as contract negotiations, family planning, and returning to sports after pregnancy. Female athletes in the early stages of their careers felt well-prepared for international travel but less so for the transition to professional sports. These findings were directly incorporated into the design of the course content. An important milestone of the project was the meeting of the partner institutions at the German Sport University Cologne in October 2023. During this meeting, initial survey results were presented and key topic areas were defined. Also in attendance was professional basketball player and DSHS doctoral candidate Lisa Koop, who contributed her many years of experience as an athlete representative. An initial prototype of the “HerForm Training Hub” is already being tested by sports organizations in Europe and Africa.