The Interaction Between Arousal, Negative Emotions, and Athlete Performance

Abstract

This article examines the interaction between physiological arousal, negative emotions, and the athlete’s performance. It describes how heart rate, physiological arousal, emotions, the sympathetic nervous system, and performance are interconnected and explains how warm-ups prepare athletes for optimal training and competition. The article also provides coaches with strategies that can guide an athlete toward an appropriate level of physiological arousal for a successful performance and explains how to implement a growth mindset into day-to-day coaching so athletes have a positive attitude toward their training and can better manage situations that trigger negative emotions.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to the reviewers for their time, patience and valuable suggestions. They challenged me to rethink how I presented this topic to beginning and intermediate coaches.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christine M. Brooks

Christine M. Brooks ([email protected]) is the sports science coaching education instructor for USA Track and Field.