Levels of stress among soccer players highlights need for monitoring
Stress is a reaction by the body and brain to some challenge or threat, good or bad experiences. When you are stressed by something, your body reacts by releasing chemicals into your blood. There are two types of stress, one is positive and the other is negative and can directly affect your performance
The issue of stress in elite sport is an area that quite rightly has gained a lot of attention in recent times. The pressures of dealing with competition, high expectations, injuries and all the challenges that go along with sport at the top level are issues an athlete has to deal with on a daily basis. One of the problems with stress is that it can have a detrimental effect on performance and that is why it is important for coaches and athletes to keep track of those levels. Of course a certain amount of stress can be good as we have all heard about the athletes who ‘thrive under pressure’ but the problem is that when those stress levels get too high, they have a negative effect on performance.
Does stress really affect performance?
The answer to this question is a most definite yes and just how this happens is outlined by Dr Joseph Mercola in 10 Ways Stress Can Mess with Your Workouts who identifies the following effects of stress:-
- Impairs Working Memory
- Sabotages Concentration
- Impairs Motor Coordination
- Compromises Visual Acuity
- Hampers Your Fitness Gains
- Slows Exercise Recovery
- Raises Your Risk for Injury
- Seriously Impedes Weight Loss
- Kills Motivation
- Depletes Emotional Resources
Clearly any one item on this list has the potential to severely hamper performance level and this is why the issue must be taken seriously.
Do athletes really suffer from stress?
Once again the answer is a definite yes. There may be a temptation to think that highly trained and focused athletes can generally cope with stress and that only a very small fraction are affected to the level where it impairs performance. That idea can be easily dismissed by a recent study illustrating that one in four professional footballers suffer from levels of stress that can have an adverse effect on their game. In the study carried out by FIFPro, the world players union, it was concluded that more than one quarter of professional soccer players said they suffered from depression or anxiety. The research pointed out that
symptoms relating to depression and anxiety are highly prevalent among professional footballers
- 26% reported suffering from depression or anxiety and adverse nutritional behaviour
- 19% reported adverse alcohol behaviour
- 3% said they had low self esteem
- 7% said they were smoking
- 5% reported “signs of burnout”
An illustration of the effect of stress
A practical illustration of how stress can affect an athlete is provided in a study in Cognitive fatigue effects on physical performance during running in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. This research found that stress had a significant impact on physical performance. Runners were intentionally stressed by being forced to complete a difficult computer test immediately before a 1.86-mile race (3,000-meters). The race times for runners who had taken the test were about 15 seconds slower than for the runners who hadn’t taken it.
The importance of monitoring stress
Therefore when you combine the research that shows levels of stress in one particular sport along with the negative impact it can have, then it becomes clear how important it is to monitor stress levels in an athlete and to manage stress effectively.
The effects of stress on athletic performance reminds us that positive stress will increase performance level but it is vital that this does not become too much.
Nothing separates the positive and negative stress. When the level of stress increases the level of performance also increases, but when it reaches a point of excessive stress, it becomes negative to the body and thus, the level of performance will instantly decrease and the athlete will start feeling fatigue and may end up exhausted. It may also cause illness or breakdown. The athlete won’t feel the enthusiasm and his productivity will decline
Therefore, knowing when an athlete is being affected by stress is hugely important for a coach. Discovering if an athlete stress levels are becoming a burden can allow the coaching team to identify the source and take actions to solve the problem. This ensures the athlete is in the best possible condition to train and perform, and allows them the best opportunity to succeed.
Metrifit provides a simple and effective method for athletes to record their stress as part of its athlete monitoring package. Stress levels are part of the daily well being questionnaire included in Metrifit and when an athlete indicates stress levels are up they are asked to provide additional information to help coaches and staff determine how they should respond to that information. Metrifit’s daily traffic light report will indicate what issues athletes are having and who warrants a follow up. The analytics provided by Metrifit will also look for deviation from normal patterns at the individual level across many variables including stress.
Kevin Schultz
Associate Director of Strength & Conditioning
Director of Olympic Strength & Conditioning
University of Wisconsin
Kevin Schultz
Associate Director of Strength & Conditioning
Director of Olympic Strength & Conditioning
University of Wisconsin
"When COVID altered college athletics as we knew it, Metrifit came to the rescue. This intuitive athlete monitoring, health and well-being system provides the athlete, coach, and sports medicine staff a way to monitor and balance the physical, emotional, health and well-being of our athlete’s. Metrifit provided that calm in the middle of the perfect storm for our entire athletic department for the future. Thank you to the entire Metrifit family for assisting our department with a seamless process."
Jennifer McIntosh
Head Athletic Trainer, Colorado School of Mines
Jennifer McIntosh
Head Athletic Trainer, Colorado School of Mines
Robert Karlsson, Professional Golfer
Robert Karlsson, Professional Golfer
Eamonn Fitzmaurice
Kerry Senior Football, Manager
Eamonn Fitzmaurice
Kerry Senior Football, Manager
Paul Cremin
Head Physiotherapist, Cornish Pirates Rugby Club
Paul Cremin
Head Physiotherapist, Cornish Pirates Rugby Club
Brijesh Patel
Quinnipiac University, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Brijesh Patel
Quinnipiac University, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Niall O’Driscoll
Academy Directory, SJ.B (St. Joseph’s Bray ) Academy
Niall O’Driscoll
Academy Directory, SJ.B (St. Joseph’s Bray ) Academy
Lee Stutely
Team Manager and Athlete Support Services Coordinator at Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby
Lee Stutely
Team Manager and Athlete Support Services Coordinator at Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby
Ryan Osborn
Head Basketball Coach, Carmel High School
Ryan Osborn
Head Basketball Coach, Carmel High School
Michael Torres
CEO, Shift Performance, Miami
Michael Torres
CEO, Shift Performance, Miami
Graham Williams
Athletic Development Coach, MSc ASCC
Millfield School, UK
Graham Williams
Athletic Development Coach, MSc ASCC
Millfield School, UK
Richard Deuchrass
Lincoln University Athletic Performance Manager
Richard Deuchrass
Lincoln University Athletic Performance Manager
Cian O’Neill
Kildare Senior Football Manager
Cian O’Neill
Kildare Senior Football Manager
Aaron Mansfield
Head Coach, LMU Lions, Loyola Marymount University
Aaron Mansfield
Head Coach, LMU Lions, Loyola Marymount University
Emma Hawke, PhD Exercise Physiology
Coach - Sweden Climbing, Olympic Offensive - Female Coach Swedish Olympic Committee, Senior Lecturer - Coach education programme (Sweden)
Emma Hawke, PhD Exercise Physiology
Coach - Sweden Climbing, Olympic Offensive - Female Coach Swedish Olympic Committee, Senior Lecturer - Coach education programme (Sweden)
Joe O’Connor
NISUS Fitness, S&C Coach Clare Senior Hurling, Horse Sport Ireland and Limerick Senior Hurling
Joe O’Connor
NISUS Fitness, S&C Coach Clare Senior Hurling, Horse Sport Ireland and Limerick Senior Hurling
Dan Horan
Head of Fitness for International Football/Fitness Coach Men's Senior Team
Football Association of Ireland
Dan Horan
Head of Fitness for International Football/Fitness Coach Men's Senior Team
Football Association of Ireland
Kari Thompson
Head Volley Ball Coach, Southern Illinois University
Kari Thompson
Head Volley Ball Coach, Southern Illinois University
Dan Rickaby
Assistant S&C Coach, Tulane University
Dan Rickaby
Assistant S&C Coach, Tulane University
Tino Fusco, B.Sc. ChPC
Head Coach, Women's Soccer, Mount Royal University (Canada)
Tino Fusco, B.Sc. ChPC
Head Coach, Women's Soccer, Mount Royal University (Canada)
Erik Helland
Director of Strength & Conditioning and Head Strength Coach Men’s basketball, University of Wisconsin
Erik Helland
Director of Strength & Conditioning and Head Strength Coach Men’s basketball, University of Wisconsin
Yvonne Treacy
Nutritionist, Wexford Camogie
Yvonne Treacy
Nutritionist, Wexford Camogie
Dave Passmore
Head Coach, Irish Hockey
Dave Passmore
Head Coach, Irish Hockey
Jason McGahan
Sports Scientist, Kildare Football, PhD Sports Science Researcher
Jason McGahan
Sports Scientist, Kildare Football, PhD Sports Science Researcher
Brian Clarke
Head Strength and Conditioning Co-ordinator,Noblesville High School
Brian Clarke
Head Strength and Conditioning Co-ordinator,Noblesville High School
Dr. Dale Richardson
CEO Achieve Total Performance Pty Ltd
Dr. Dale Richardson
CEO Achieve Total Performance Pty Ltd
Edgar K. Tham
Founder and Chief Sport & Performance Psychologist, SportPsych Consulting (Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines)
Edgar K. Tham
Founder and Chief Sport & Performance Psychologist, SportPsych Consulting (Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines)
J.B. Belzer
Head Coach, Women's Soccer at Regis University
J.B. Belzer
Head Coach, Women's Soccer at Regis University
Tommy Mooney
Strength and Conditioning Coach at DCU Sport and with Dublin Minor GAA
Tommy Mooney
Strength and Conditioning Coach at DCU Sport and with Dublin Minor GAA
References
The effects of stress on athletic performance
10 Ways Stress Can Mess with Your Workouts by Dr. Joseph Mercola
Cognitive fatigue effects on physical performance during running by MacMahon C, Schücker L, Hagemann N, Strauss B
Stress and Anxiety in Athletics by: Carly M. Fullerton
The effects of stress on academic and athletic performance | Metrifit
1 in 4 pro soccer players suffer symptoms of anxiety, depression
Pro footballers are prone to depression