{"id":1718,"date":"2011-04-10T16:52:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-10T16:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports_psychology_blog\/?p=1718"},"modified":"2025-06-17T05:13:06","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T09:13:06","slug":"how-stress-can-affect-sports-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-stress-can-affect-sports-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"How Stress Can Affect Sports Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/rory.jpg\" alt=\"Rory Pregame Jitters\" class=\"wp-image-6437\" title=\"rory-mcilroy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/rory.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/rory-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_All_Stress_is_Bad_for_your_Performance\"><\/span>Not All Stress is Bad for your Performance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-stress-can-affect-sports-performance\/#Not_All_Stress_is_Bad_for_your_Performance\" >Not All Stress is Bad for your Performance<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-stress-can-affect-sports-performance\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-stress-can-affect-sports-performance\/#The_Relaxed_Athlete\" >The Relaxed Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Stress can affect your performance in two different ways. Stress can help you when it makes you more alert, more motivated to practice, and gain a competitive edge. In the right amount, <strong>stress helps you prepare<\/strong>, focus, and perform at your optimal level. Conversely, too much stress, or bad stress, can cause performance anxiety, which hurts your health and does not allow you to play relaxed, confident, and focused in competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re always going to be nervous teeing it up in a Major Championship. It&#8217;s very natural and it&#8217;s a good thing. It means that you want it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>~Rory McIlroy, first round leader at the 2011 Masters<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every competitive athlete experiences some stress; good and bad. Your stress may be positive and helpful or instill anxiety and apprehension. <strong>Pregame jitters <\/strong>can cause some athletes to not sleep well the night before competition. Some athletes can\u2019t eat the morning before a big game. Your pre-competition jitters may make you feel like you have to throw up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You want to feel excitement or thrill in anticipation for competition (what I call positive pregame jitters). A high level of activation will help you perform your best \u2013 up to a point where you may be too jacked up to play well. Too little or too much intensity (or stress) can cause your performance to decline. Your ability to cope effectively with <strong>pregame nerves <\/strong>is critical to consistent peak performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To read the entire article &#8220;How Stress Can Affect Sports Performance&#8221; visit April&#8217;s addition of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/\"><strong>Sports Insight Magazine, by Peak Performance Sports, LLC<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-athletes-deal-with-stress\/\"><strong>How Athletes Deal with Stress<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-stress-can-affect-sports-performance\/\"><strong>How Stress Can Affect Sports Performance<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/pregame-stress-and-anxiety-athletes-mental-roadblock-to-success\/\"><strong>Pregame Stress and Anxiety: Athletes\u2019 Mental Roadblock to Success<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Relaxed_Athlete\"><\/span>The Relaxed Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/03\/relaxed-athlete-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Relaxed Athlete\" class=\"wp-image-1543\" style=\"width:180px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The ability to relax and play your game under pressure is what separates the winner<\/strong> from the loser in any competition. Champion athletes train hard in practice, are motivated for the right reasons, and are able to raise their game in crunch-time with two minutes remaining in the game..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A relaxed and confident performance begins in the mind! <strong>When you are mentally prepared to compete, you can have an optimal level of intensity AND poise!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Relaxed Athlete program<\/strong> is ideal for any athlete that wants to overcome pregame anxiety, worry, or excess tension and learn to perform with poise. It\u2019s also ideal for any coach or parent who wants to teach athletes to perform with poise and relaxation in competition.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-e17df0d5\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-68994dee gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-relaxed-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-89319240 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-cd-workbooks\/products\/the-relaxed-athlete-cd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not All Stress is Bad for your Performance Stress can affect your performance in two different ways. Stress can help you when it makes you more alert, more motivated to practice, and gain a competitive edge. In the right amount, stress helps you prepare, focus, and perform at your optimal level. Conversely, too much stress, or bad stress, &#8230; <a title=\"How Stress Can Affect Sports Performance\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-stress-can-affect-sports-performance\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Stress Can Affect Sports Performance\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[851,256,250,218],"class_list":["post-1718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-peak-sports-newsletter","tag-performance-anxiety","tag-sports-psychology","tag-stress-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Every competitive athlete experiences some stress; good and bad. 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