Stress and it’s effects on athletic performance
The amount of stress an individual may face once they reach the semi-professional level may not be so apparent to the outside viewer. As a fan, we view the physical product of constant hard-work and dedication, which is balanced amongst so many other factors. The social dynamic between a player’s coach, his teammates, the fans can all be a source of stress for the athlete, potentially influenced by their athletic performance. Amongst other physical and social factors, there are many other stressors that the athlete may experience outside of sport, that can in turn influence their physical and mental well-being. The following sheds light on the multiple external and internal stressors that we may experience throughout our athletic careers, improving awareness and hopefully in turn, our response - as a positive challenge. The more that we are aware of that can possibly implicate our physical recovery and adaptation, as well as our mental health, the more we can actively resist.
As per Lopes Dos Santos et al. (2020, pg. 2), stress can be considered “a state of physical and psychological activation in response to external demands that exceed one’s ability to cope and requires a person to adapt or change behavior.” The physiological response to these events result an influx of hormones, increases in cardiovascular measures such as blood flow and cardiac output, altered blood sugar levels, pupil and airway dilation, to name a few (Lopes Dos Santos et al., 2020). As a result to cumulative stress, evidence has suggested that this can contribute to the development of anxiety, depression, or metabolic disorders (Lopes Dos Santos et al., 2020). Additionally, Lopes Dos Santos et al. (2020) indicate an injury and illness susceptibility for individuals experiencing chronic stress situations.
For the semi-professional athlete, the dedication to our craft comes with an array of stressors, specific to their individual sport. However, this can commonly occur from the amount of required training, competition, injuries, social interaction with players or coaching staff, and playing status, amongst others (Lopes Dos Santos et al., 2020). The outcome of these stressors, however, is determined by how they are perceived by the athlete. Lopes Dos Santos et al. (2020) explain that those who view the demands of their sport as a positive challenge may benefit. Alternatively, those that are unable to cope risk negative change to their physical and mental wellbeing, as well as physical performance within their sport. Those that are unable to cope also risk the experience of athletic burnout, which Smith (1986, as referenced in Chyi et al., 2018) outlines within a four-stage theory. Initially, the athlete accumulates stress through the initial perceived demands of his individual situation in sport. Following this, the second phase develops as the individual evaluates the positivity or negativity of the situation. Now, when the demands of the situation are perceived as greater than an individual’s tolerance, the individual enters a third stage where the risk for negative physiological and psychological consequences may occur (i.e., anxiety, depression, metabolic disorders, injury, or illness). Finally, when the response to stress is not recognized or managed appropriately, we risk athletic burnout and ultimately a reduction in overall athletic performance (Chyi et al., 2018).
Outside of sport, the athlete must also balance their athletic commitments with multiple other lifestyle factors. This includes their occupation, academic commitments, social life, amongst just trying to make sure that they have an appropriate sleep and nutrition to support their physical output (Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014). As some semi-professional athletes are fortunate to receive compensation as part of their contract, many still need to take on part-time or full-time work to support themselves and their family. Those that are studious must find time to also complete any educational requirements. Between many late nights of training and competition, spare time to be able to maintain a social life with friends and family becomes difficult, especially when free time may be better prioritised for rest and recovery. With so many contributing factors to accumulating stress, those that are unable to manage may face challenges in their ability to maintain individual health behaviours such as diet and sleep (Von Rosen et al., 2019). Two factors in which, Von Rosen et al. (2017) point out, was under-met within between 20-40% of surveyed athletes.
With consideration of the multiple different factors that can physically and mentally harm an athlete’s well-being, sporting teams should ensure that they have appropriate forms of communication available to all athletes. Creating an open-door policy for athletes to discuss internal and external factors provides a more comfortable social environment (Lopes Dos Santos et al., 2020). Moreover, Lopes Dos Santos et al. (2020) states that factors such as deep breathing techniques and positive self-talk can both be beneficial in athletes mitigating their daily stressors. The more aware and prepared we are as athletes, the better we can navigate our negative experiences, and in turn, continue to strive for better athletic performance.
References
Chyi, T., Lu, F. J. H., Wang, E. T., Hsu, Y. W., & Chang, K. H. (2018). Prediction of life stress on athletes’ burnout: the dual role of perceived stress. PeerJ, 6, e4213.
Lopes Dos Santos, M., Uftring, M., Stahl, C. A., Lockie, R. G., Alvar, B., Mann, J. B., & Dawes, J. J. (2020). Stress in academic and athletic performance in collegiate athletes: A narrative review of sources and monitoring strategies. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2, 42.
McLoughlin, E., Fletcher, D., Slavich, G. M., Arnold, R., & Moore, L. J. (2021). Cumulative lifetime stress exposure, depression, anxiety, and well-being in elite athletes: A mixed-method study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 52, 101823.
Sarkar, M., & Fletcher, D. (2014). Psychological resilience in sport performers: a review of stressors and protective factors. Journal of sports sciences, 32(15), 1419-1434.
Von Rosen, P., Frohm, A., Kottorp, A., Fridén, C., & Heijne, A. (2017). Too little sleep and an unhealthy diet could increase the risk of sustaining a new injury in adolescent elite athletes. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 27(11), 1364-1371.
Von Rosen, P., Olofsson, O., Väsbom, S., & Heijne, A. (2019). Correlates of health in adolescent elite athletes and adolescents: A cross-sectional study of 1016 adolescents. European journal of sport science, 19(5), 707-716
