Managing athlete stress
Stress, as we all know, is part of every athlete’s life. Whether you are attempting to execute a play to win in the Super Bowl, or set a new personal best in the local 5K race, everyone faces a degree of stress. No matter what level of competition you are at, the key is being able to deal with the pressure and ensure that it doesn’t adversely affect your performance. Therefore, it is vital to monitor your stress levels and to become aware of the tell-tale signs in order to take action before it becomes a problem. When we see some of the best athletes in the world excel under the most testing of circumstances, it may be tempting to think that they don’t suffer from such anxieties but there is considerable evidence of the effect stress can have on an athlete.
Additional stress from current pandemic
The current Covid-19 pandemic has added considerably to stress and anxiety levels of athletes around the world. When surveyed in December 2019 and January 2020 by the world players union FIFPro, 11% of female footballers and 6% of male footballers surveyed had symptoms consistent with depression. A survey completed during the Covid-19 pandemic between March and April 2020 surveyed a larger group (1,134 male players and 468 female players) and found that the percentage of footballers reporting depression symptoms had doubled: 22% of female players and 13% of male players. Job uncertainty as well as health worries understandably have added to this.
A more recent FIFPRO survey shows the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on women’s professional football based on data collected from national player unions in 62 different countries from July through October 2020. It showed that in 47% of the countries surveyed women footballers had wages cut or suspended. In 40% of countries, players received no mental or physical health support. In 69% of countries, communication with players was regarded as poor or very poor.
NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study
The NCAA Student-Athlete Well-Being Study examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental well-being of student-athletes during the spring and fall of 2020. The NCAA Research team collaborated with the NCAA Sport Science Institute and the NCAA’s Division I, II and III Student-Athlete Advisory Committees and the two surveys generated over 60,000 student-athlete responses. Student-athletes reported fewer sleep difficulties and lower levels of loneliness, loss, anger and sadness in fall 2020 than at the outset of the pandemic. However, similar to spring findings, elevated rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety, hopelessness and feelings of being depressed were reported.
Stress and Performance
As Roger Covin, Ph.D explains in How Stress Can Affect Athletic Performance: Listen Up, Tiger
In many ways, the brain is like a computer. If memory capacity is low or impaired, performance will be slower, less efficient and there will be less information that can be processed at a given time. There is also a greater risk of errors in decision making if the brain cannot process all the necessary information
It is important if not essential that coaches understand the types of stressors athletes face so they can help them manage the negative effects that stress may have on both their athletic performance and overall well-being.
Recent research detailed in Monitoring Training Loads and Perceived Stress in Young Elite University Athletes by Mike Hamlin et al examined subjective data on 182 university sports scholars over a 4 year period at Lincoln University, New Zealand. Using Metrifit, they monitored subjective markers such as mood state, energy levels, academic stress levels, sleep quality and quantity, muscle soreness and training loads along with rates of injury and illness. The research highlighted the link between stress and illness and/or injury and the importance of monitoring:-
We found that athletes overall stress levels increased as the semester continued until finally peaking at exam time. As stress increased towards exam time, energy levels and sleep parameters worsened and so our athletes were suffering from a number of potentially hazardous influences. What’s more, is that we found that when taken together, an athletes perceived mood, sleep duration, energy levels and academic stress levels were able to predict, with a reasonable degree of certainty, injury in our athletes. We also found that at times of highest stress, athletes suffered more illness. Finally, as others have found previously, we showed that a sudden increase in training load, especially during pre-season, resulted in an increase in injuries
The ABCs of Stress
In Managing Stress and Anxiety Is As Easy As ABC, Dr. Steve Graef, a former sport and performance psychologist at The Ohio State University outlines a useful approach that advocates acknowledging and appreciating that times are tough and that stress is a part of life.
A: Accept
When you’re in a stressful or tough situation, accepting the situation can sometimes be half the battle. Often it is not so much the demand that causes the stress but our perception of that demand. It is often better to ‘ride the wave rather than swim against it’. Acceptance, acknowledgement and appreciation of the situation that is causing us stress is a good first step in coping and dealing with that stress.
B: Breathe
Taking a deep breath and focusing your mind to slow down can help your body. When you breathe deeply, your body sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. When you are stressed your body can react with an increased heart rate, fast breathing and high blood pressure. Deep breathing doesn’t take away your stress, but it can decrease these affects and bring a calmness that can help you look at your situation in a more positive manner. Meditation and mindfulness programs are being increasingly implemented in many sporting environments.
C: Choose your Focus
You have the power to choose what to think, feel or do next. Focus on controlling the controllables. Every sport has specific demands that need to be met in order to compete successfully. You need to be competent across the 4 corners of talent development – Physical, Technical, Tactical and Psychological. Wasting time worrying over things you have no control over can deplete your positivity and energy, leaving you unable to put effort and positivity into what you can control. Preparing yourself through optimal physical preparation, nutrition, sleep and positivity can increase your confidence and reduce stress levels. You always have total control over the attitude that you take when faced with a situation. Self-talk, goal setting and imagery are all useful tools to help you achieve this.
Managing stress with Metrifit
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 high, they are asked to provide additional information to help coaches and staff determine how they should respond to that information.
Metrifit’s NEW lifestyle profiling survey uses scientifically backed validated questionnaires to assess the overall well-being of your athletes and teams and gives you an essential baseline to formulate your roadmap to optimal health and performance. To find out more about our Metrifit Ready to Perform product or our new lifestyle profiling contact us at or click on ‘Request Demo’ below.
References
Setting the bar: athletes and vulnerability to mental illness
Managing Stress and Anxiety Is As Easy As ABC
Focusing on Student-Athletes’ Mental Health
Number of footballers with depression symptoms doubles during shutdown
NCAA Covid-19 Well-Being Study
The effects of stress on athletic performance
How Stress Can Affect Athletic Performance: Listen Up, Tiger
Stigma deterring elite athletes with mental health issues from seeking help