Psychological analysis of anxiety and its impact on athletic performance in competitive sports
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v71.117070Keywords:
Cognitive anxiety, competitive anxiety, performance, somatic anxiety, sport typologyAbstract
Introduction: Effective performance in elite sport demands the precise management of psychological factors, yet the distinct contributions of cognitive and somatic anxiety remain incompletely understood. This study investigated how these anxiety dimensions predict objective performance and whether their effects are moderated by gender and sport typology.
Methods: A sample of 196 competitive athletes (52% male; 53% individual sports) completed validated multidimensional anxiety measures, and standardized competition scores served as objective performance indicators.
Results: Cognitive anxiety emerged as a robust negative predictor, accounting for 18% of variance, with stronger detrimental effects observed among female athletes and those competing individually. In contrast, somatic anxiety demonstrated an inverted-U association, suggesting that moderate physiological arousal facilitates performance while excessive activation is counterproductive. Gender and sport type significantly moderated the cognitive anxiety–performance relationship but did not influence somatic anxiety effects. These findings support Multidimensional Anxiety Theory and the Individual Zones of Optimal Functioning model, underscoring the multidimensional and context-dependent nature of competitive anxiety.
Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of individualized interventions integrating mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, self-talk, and biofeedback, while recognizing barriers such as limited access to psychological expertise and uneven technological resources. Future research should employ longitudinal, ecologically valid designs, incorporate culturally diverse samples, and leverage real-time monitoring and machine learning to refine adaptive support strategies. Collectively, this study emphasizes the need for holistic, evidence-based approaches to optimize mental health and sustain performance in high-pressure sporting environments.
References
Boas Junior, M. V., Ucha, F. G., Souza, V. H. D., Manzini, M., Corrêa, M. D. F., Angelo, D. L., & Brandão, M. R. F. (2025). The relationship between emotional regulation and sports performance: A syste-matic review. Journal of Physical Education, 35, e3530. https://doi.org/10.4025/jphyseduc.35i1.3530
Carnevale Pellino, V., Lovecchio, N., Puci, M. V., Marin, L., Gatti, A., Pirazzi, A., & Vandoni, M. (2022). Effects of the lockdown period on the mental health of elite athletes during the COVID-19 pan-demic: A narrative review. Sport Sciences for Health, 18(4), 1187-1199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-022-00964-7
Córdova-Castillo, R., Brandão, R., Tutte-Vallarino, V., & Reyes-Bossio, M. (2023). Relationship between competitive anxiety and resilience in high-performance water sports practitioners during COVID-19. Revista de Psicología Aplicada al Deporte y al Ejercicio Físico, 8(1), e12. https://doi.org/10.5093/rpadef2023a12
Dhankar, M. (2024). Gender differences in sports performance and its related variables among young athletes. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Approaches in Psychology, 2(9), 209-323.
Doron, J., Rouault, Q., Jubeau, M., & Bernier, M. (2020). Integrated mindfulness-based intervention: Effects on mindfulness skills, cognitive interference, and performance satisfaction of young elite badminton players. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 47, 101638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101638
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regres-sion-based approach (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
Hufton, J. R., Vella, S. A., Goddard, S. G., & Schweickle, M. J. (2024). How do athletes perform well under pressure? A meta-study. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2024.2414442
Jeong, J., Shim, Y., & Shin, M. (2022). Exploring the effects of coaching behavior on the mental condi-tioning process of Taekwondo Poomsae athletes: A moderated mediation effect of psychologi-cal needs and gender. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12), 7016. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127016
Kemarat, S., Theanthong, A., Yeemin, W., & Suwankan, S. (2022). Personality characteristics and com-petitive anxiety in individual and team athletes. PLoS ONE, 17(1), e0262486. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262486
Lochbaum, M., Cooper, S., & Limp, S. (2022). The athletic identity measurement scale: A systematic review with meta-analysis from 1993 to 2021. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psy-chology and Education, 12(9), 1391-1414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe12090097
Lochbaum, M., Stoner, E., Hefner, T., Cooper, S., Lane, A. M., & Terry, P. C. (2022). Sport psychology and performance meta-analyses: A systematic review of the literature. PLoS ONE, 17(2), e0263408. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263408
Lundqvist, C., & Andersson, G. (2021). Let's talk about mental health and mental disorders in elite sports: A narrative review of theoretical perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 700829. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.700829
Nicholls, A. R. (2021). Psychology in sports coaching: Theory and practice. Routledge.
Pascoe, M., Pankowiak, A., Woessner, M., Brockett, C. L., Hanlon, C., Spaaij, R., McEwan, D., & Parker, A. (2022). Gender-specific psychosocial stressors influencing mental health among women elite and semielite athletes: A narrative review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 56(23), 1381-1387. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105540
Reardon, C. L., Bindra, A., Blauwet, C., Budgett, R., Campriani, N., Currie, A., & Hainline, B. (2021). Men-tal health management of elite athletes during COVID-19: A narrative review and recommenda-tions. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(11), 608-615. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102884
Rico-González, M., Pino-Ortega, J., Méndez, A., Clemente, F., & Baca, A. (2023). Machine learning appli-cation in soccer: A systematic review. Biology of Sport, 40(1), 249–263. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.112970
Robazza, C., Morano, M., Bortoli, L., & Ruiz, M. C. (2022). Perceived motivational climate influences athletes’ emotion regulation strategies, emotions, and psychobiosocial experiences. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 59, 102110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102110
Ronkainen, N., Wiltshire, G., & Willis, M. (2022). Meta-study. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 15(1), 226-241. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2021.1931941
Saniah, S., Sukamti, E. R., Chaeroni, A., Prayoga, H. D., Prabowo, T. A., Suganda, M. A., & Abdhi, M. I. (2024). An analysis of Indonesian student-level boxing athletes: What effect does competition anxiety have on self-efficacy? Retos, 55, 1030–1037. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v55.106784
Simpson, R. A., Didymus, F. F., & Williams, T. L. (2024). Organizational stress and well-being in compet-itive sport: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17(1), 116-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2021.1975305
Teixeira, K. C., Remus, J. B., & Nunes, C. H. S. D. S. (2021). Three-dimensional anxiety scale for sport: Development and validity evidence based on content. Psico-USF, 26(2), 241-251. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-82712021260204
Terrón, B. S., & Jiménez, M. D. L. V. M. (2023). Precompetitive anxiety and psychological skills in sports performance. Ansiedad y Estrés, 29(2), 88-93. https://doi.org/10.5093/anyes2023a10
Tossici, G., Zurloni, V., & Nitri, A. (2024). Stress and sport performance: A PNEI multidisciplinary ap-proach. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1358771. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1358771
Wang, Y., Lei, S. M., & Fan, J. (2023). Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on promoting athletic performance and related factors among athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2038. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032038
Zhang, Z., Chen, X., Xu, L., Qin, X., & Veloo, A. (2024). Sport anxiety and subjective happiness of college athletes: A self-determination theory perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1400094. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1400094
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Jasmine Kaur Chawla, Indu Bala, Chanderkant Dhiman, Prince Vishal Dixit, Vismita Paliwal, Barnali Bhattacharjee, Seema Kaushik Sharma
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
