Anxiety sensitivity, stress, and postural control: their implications on archery performance in 11–14-year-olds

Abstract

Purpose.Archery, a sport based on individual performance, requires postural stability,oncentration and the ability to cope with stress. The effect of stress on success, however, is not clear in the adolescent age group. The present study investigates the association between stress and trait anxiety levels and postural control and shooting performance in young adolescent archers.Methods.Included in the study were a total of 22 licensed archers (6 female; 16 male) aged between 11 and 14 who were evaluated using the ‘Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3’ and ‘Trier Social Stress Test’ (child version, arithmetic component) to measure their trait anxiety status and susceptibility to stress, respectively. Stress was measured based on the number of heartbeats per minute. An evaluation of static postural control was made using a pedobarography device before arrow release, with and without subjecting the archer to stress. To assess performance, 10 arrows were shot at a target 18 metres away, twice – before and after subjecting the participant to stress.Results.Postural control showed no significant change under stress. However, the participants’ trait anxiety status inversely correlated with shooting success. Post-stress shooting scores correlated with total ASI-3 score (<i>r</i> = –0.513; <i>p</i> = 0.021) and its social sub-group (<i>r</i> = –0.634; <i>p</i> = 0.003).Conclusions.A moderately inverse correlation can be noted between the trait anxiety state and shooting success in young adolescent archers subjected to stress. Furthermore, stress was observed to have a detrimental effect on the shooting success of people with a high level of trait anxiety.