Races are definitely one of the hardest things an athlete has to cope with. There are various techniques for helping athletes to overcome their anxiety. Find out what they are.
Races are definitely one of the hardest things an athlete has to cope with. It is the moment when athletes can see how well they are progressing, bearing in mind that their expectations are often very high. This is also when athletes begin to show signs of anxiety that can affect their performance.
In both team and individual sports, anxiety is something that affects all athletes, from elite competitors to amateurs.
When anxiety arises, an athlete can react in two ways:
- ignore the feeling and its impact on performance, threatening any chances of achieving their goal;
- be aware of this feeling before a race and learn how to handle it and, eventually, get rid of it.
Anxiety affects performance because it is closely tied to certain physiological means of conveying energy from the muscles, muscular-skeletal apparatus and cardiovascular system to the brain, which, in turn, requires more oxygen due to the anxiety affecting the athlete.
So, what causes anxiety? An initial cause, if not THE cause, is certainly setting the bar too high for your own ability or having unrealistic…
