According to BBC News, scientists took a closer look at an age-old question: how much does watching the World Cup actually stress your body? It turns out, quite a bit. By testing viewers during matches, researchers discovered that football fans experience genuine spikes in heart rate and stress hormones — the kind your body normally reserves for actual physical danger. Every near-miss, every save, every goal is a small jolt to your nervous system. So if you find yourself drained after a match, you're not imagining it. Your body's been through the wringer, even if you've been sitting perfectly still on the couch.

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