Stress in sport

In case you are thinking that the negative effects of stress at work is not replicated elsewhere, think again. This research shows how stress negatively impacts elite sports people too.

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, remote cameras measured the heart rates of  archery competitors. Higher heat rates — an indicator of greater stress — were indeed associated with lower scores. “Our results provide the first direct evidence in support of the detrimental effect of psychological stress measured by a real-time biomarker in a high-stakes competitive setting,” write Yungfeng Lu of Nanjing University and Songfa Zhong of the National University of Singapore. They also found evidence that higher stakes increased stress.

What is also note worthy is that elite athletes have access to psychological support to manage their stress. How does this research resonate with competitive and high stake work contexts?