Knowledge Nuggets

Elite athletes and coaches view sleep as essential for optimal performance and recovery, but sleep quality is often compromised by various factors. Sleep quality can affect athletic performance and recovery, with the impact varying based on sport type and individual needs.

Stress can significantly impact an athlete’s well-being and sport performance, but social support from teammates, coaches, and support staff can positively influence how athletes perceive and adapt to stress. Recent research shows that for social support to produce positive effects, having a shared social identity and the knowledge and expertise to provide sufficient support is...

How a coach interacts with athletes can be significant predictor of athletes’ enjoyment and intentions to stay in sport. A study of 202 elite-level artistic swimmers from 22 countries showed that athletes under the guidance of democratic-style coaches reported elevated levels of athletic enjoyment and expressed greater intent to pursue their athletic careers.

Elite athletes and coaches view sleep as essential for optimal performance and recovery, but sleep quality is often compromised by various factors. Sleep quality can affect athletic performance and recovery, with the impact varying based on sport type and individual needs.

Regular stretching is common among athletes as an injury prevention and warm up method. A recent study finds that regularly stretching before exercising and sticking to a routine can lower the chances of muscular or tendon injuries, especially in sports like running. Additionally, regular stretching may even improve balance and lower the risk of falling.

Training and lifting at gyms are a common part of athlete development, with many athletes listening to music for motivation. A study found that although preferred warm-up music does increase the volume of lifts and motivation, it does not speed up or change how the lifts feel.

While sports are known for promoting physical health, their mental health benefits are often overlooked. This study examines ‘Tackling the Blues’, a school program based in the UK that uses sports and activities to address mental health among students. Findings reveal the program positively impacted students’ comprehension of relationships, emotions, and stress, showing its potential...

Mental fatigue is common among many athletes due to the high cognitive demands of sport. Mental fatigue in athletes has been shown to significantly impair both endurance and technical abilities, such as passing and shooting accuracy.

Biological rhythms are becoming a hot topic in sports science. The time of day has been shown to have a significant impact on athletic performance, with athletes often performing best in the late afternoon. This review looks at how our internal clocks affect performance and suggests that training schedules should match each athlete’s natural rhythms.

Elite athletes often grapple with keeping their mental health in check while striving for peak performance. Digging into the experiences of Swedish elite tennis players and exploring how they manage this up and down balancing act of mental health and performance throughout their careers shows the importance of support from sports psychologists.