Westfield State Sports Medicine Blog

  By Octaviana Williams Athletes at all levels experience anxiety. This anxiety manifests as pre-game nerves , fear of failure, or difficulty maintaining focus under pressure. It can significantly impact both performance and well-being. Over time, unmanaged anxiety can erode confidence, diminish enjoyment, and even lead to a decline in long-term participation in sports. Research suggests that incorporating mindfulness, self-compassion, and mental skills training can empower athletes to better manage anxiety and excel in their sports. Understanding Sports Anxiety Sports anxiety manifests when athletes experience excessive apprehension, stress, or apprehension in relation to their performance. While a moderate level of arousal can enhance performance, excessive anxiety often results in diminished concentration, muscle tension, negative self-talk, and impaired decision-making. Athletes may find it challenging to remain present, overanalyze errors, or feel overwhelmed during competi...

Aerobic exercise has been proven to bring many benefits to the body with improving areas such as strength, balance, endurance, etc. But what changes occur in the brain as a result of aerobic exercise and are these changes constant or vary depending upon the person?        Evidence-Based Points:    Aerobic exercise in acute bouts (in one sitting) can bring enhancements in attention, working memory, and processing speed along with increased blood flow and event-related potentials. Where even the smallest amounts of aerobic exercise can bring benefits to the brain while having a  short  duration of effects.   May lead to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) which can cause mood regulation for younger and middle-aged adults. Lower levels of BDNF have been linked to mood disorders like depression and  anxiety,  so an increase can help better the mental state of others.     For older adults, aerobic exercise ...

  Does Sleep Affect Performance? Imagine trying to run a race, memorize a complex play, or focus in the middle of a long day while running on empty. That’s exactly what many athletes do every day without realizing that the biggest performance boost may not be more practice… it’s sleep. Longer Sleep Directly Improves Athletic Performance Studies on college basketball players show that 10 hours of sleep improved sprint times, shooting accuracy, and reduced fatigue. Across 12 different sports, more sleep led to 7% faster sprinting, 9% better accuracy, and 20% better technical skills. Poor Sleep Slows the Brain, Increases Injury Risk, and Delays Recovery Athletes who are sleep-deprived react more slowly, make poorer decisions, and experience lapses in attention. Those with insomnia are 3x more likely to sustain a concussion. Poor sleep also delays recovery, increases soreness, raises stress, and weakens the immune system. Treat Sleep as Part of Training Athletes should aim for 8–10 ho...