Assessment of sport competition anxiety using heart rate variability and self-reported screening tools

Anxiety in sport is typically "an unpleasant psychological state that progresses in response to stress experienced in relation to the current competition" in athletes. In addition to directly affecting the athletes' careers as competitive performance this competition or performance anxiety also significantly affects sports-related injuries, rehabilitation after injury and returning to sports. The aim of this study was to objectively determine the pre-competition state anxiety level using heart rate variability in athletes and examine the consistency among self-reported screening tools and heart rate variability measurements. A total of 30 athletes, competing in judo (n=15) and rafting (n=15) branches participated in this study. Demographic information of athletes was recorded. Anxiety levels of athletes were determined using STAI I-II and heart rate variability measurements. Additionally, sleep quality of athletes was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. In judo branch; the trait anxiety level of female athletes was determined as high and trait anxiety level of male athletes was determined as low. Precompetitive and post competitive state anxiety level of female athletes was moderate, precompetitive and post competitive state anxiety level of males was low. In rafting branch, the trait anxiety level of female athletes was moderate and trait anxiety level of males was low. Precompetitive and post competitive state anxiety level of females was determined moderate, precompetitive and post competitive state anxiety level of males was low. Sleep quality level of female athletes in rafting branch was moderate and the other groups' sleep quality levels were high. Correlation analysis between athletes' state anxiety data obtained from STAI and HRV measurements revealed a very weak positive correlation (r=0.20, r=0.14, p>0.05). In this study; the correlation between data obtained from heart rate variability and self-reported screening tools was weak. In this context; considering few number of participants, it is thought that further studies with more participants might be useful assess the relationship between anxiety level and heart rate variability. Key Words: Anxiety, Competition anxiety, Heart rate variability, State Trait Anxiety Inventory