It can be said that there are thousands of specific stress sources; football players reflected both in important events (a penalty kick) as in everyday situations (pass the ball to a teammate, the wrong move resulted in a goal) the game causes stress and affects athlete's emotional state. Physiological aspects such as tachycardia, tachypnea, sweating and nervous gestures impact on optimizing the execution of the movement and thus its performance. In this review, we explained the level of anxiety of football association players and its management with Biofeedback techniques.
Keywords: Anxiety; Biofeedback; Light and Sound System; Football Association.
Many coaches try to correct deficiencies in performance by making the athlete simply devote more hours to training, staying after training or coming before the training starts; the real problem is not technical and tactical skills, but the psychological skills, those that arise at all times of the athlete's life. Most of the athletes, are required, too much relaxation and concentration, especially in situations of high demand, the problem with this is that the athlete has to be trained or taught the way they have to relax to achieve more concentration. Athletes need to learn psychological skills to relax physically and mentally when they are under high pressure. Other athletes they need to improve or enhance concentration, confidence, motivation and mental preparation, being possible by means of a training visualización. 1
Activation is a neutral physiological phenomenon associated with increases in heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, metabolism, and other indicators. 2 Also, Weinberg and Gould1 state that activation is a combination of physical and psychological activity in a person and is related to the intensity of motivation in a given moment. However, an over activation, which happens when heart rate increases, and respiration does not follow normal rhythms and obey an "oversaturation" of external stimuli from which the latter are negative, the pressure to win, to score a goal, about to lose the match, that is to say, activation directly influences the concentration in a negative way, making anxiety appear in the psychophysical state of the player. The neurophysiology of activation is similar to the inner workings of a car engine. The engine can run at extremely high speeds, but if the transmission is in neutral, the car will not go anywhere. Similarly, an individual may be highly activated according to his heart rate, brain waves and blood pressure, but without a purpose and goal it is wasted energy. 2
It is almost nonexistent the number of coaches who know or recognize the type of anxiety that their players experience, it means that they have no knowledge of what is the source of stress and anxiety felt by the athlete at a moment of maximum commitment. Obviously, if the type or degree of anxiety that the players experience cannot be determined there would exist a lesser way to intervene with the players. Besides that, anxiety could generate a high degree of confidence to execute the movement or to achieve an objective. To accurately detect the anxiety level of an athlete is necessary to know the various signs and symptoms of increased stress and anxiety; at the same time, there are established some signs and symptoms that can help to diagnose or discover the state of anxiety: cold hands, need to urinate frequently, profuse sweating, confused stare, increased muscle tension, general ill feeling, headache, dry mouth, feeling uncoordinated all the time, trouble sleeping a day before the competition, and inability to concentrate and omission of the competition key points, to mention some. 3 The key to a better functioning of the athlete or team is to warn the changes that the players present and that they, in turn, are aware of these psychotherapeutic changes that may diminish through the use of psychological coping skills.
As John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) always mentioned with his players: good sports psychologists teach athletes to see their errors not as wrong or harmful, but as building blocks leading to success. 1 No athlete gets happy when he makes mistakes, but to get upset only serves the error to become a total error. Instead, one should try to get at least a partial success if you try to remain calm and learn from the error: to use it as a building block to achieve success. This is how sport psychology embodies the relationship between these three types of emotional states; anxiety - activation and performance of the athlete. For these states a number of theories have been formulated ranging from the primary drive to the behavior of the athlete.
It points the interest of the origin of the word anxiety. Angh (tighten), angustus (narrow) or agkno (tighten in Greek).4 Anxiety is a negative emotional state that is accompanied by a feeling of nervousness, apprehension and concern, which is related to the body activation.1 With this definition and the correlation that Weinberg1 mentions, in which an apparent existence of anxiety is closely related to the functioning of the body, physiologically, the lack of homeostasis in the athlete, will cause an impairment of his psychomotor coordination and therefore of his body-mind control which, in turn, will affect the execution and performance of the athlete. The term anxiety has been widely used in clinical psychology and has been part of everyday vocabulary as a noun to describe a state of nervousness, imbalance, loss of control that is often accompanied by physical and physiological signs that cause great instability in people who suffers it.4
Cognitivist approaches about anxiety are based on the existence of a set of elements of cognitive nature that mediate emotional reactions and inform well about themselves.4 Referring to anxiety, to reach this state, it does not only come from a general factor or from the existence of a single type of anxiety, it can be basically defined, it is caused by various natures of the same situation. We must consider 4 categories of anxiety that are related to both the physiological part of the athlete as well as to the behavioral part of himself; that affect, the implementation and performance of the athlete. Anxiety is multidimensional in the sense that it is believed to possess both cognitive and somatic components.4
Cognitive anxiety is the mental component of anxiety caused by elements such as fear of negative social evaluation, failure and loss of self-esteem. 4
Weinberg 1 mentions that cognitive anxiety is related to the level of concern or negative thoughts an athlete has, meaning that, at the level of thought there is this category of anxiety, if there are no psychological coping tools, it is likely that the athlete perceives far more exaggerated the problems presented by the competition and therefore the results are not achieved. In the words of Caracuel 4 cognitive anxiety refers to psychological components of thought and self-dialogue related concerns or doubts caused by a negative evaluation of the ability to respond appropriately and successfully to the demands of the competition; the person does not see himself achieving what is expected in sports. Given a cognitive assessment, which generates anxiety, as provided in the preceding paragraph, it has to be considered that these category (cognitive anxiety) comes from, or is also fed from a subjective experience; lines above it was mentioned that if the athlete does not have psychological coping tools for situations of anxiety, regularly the outcome or objectives will not be adequate, subjective experience, then feeds the lack of psychomotor performance in its entirety, as a traumatizing experience or disappointing past is a the reason for the athlete to feel anxiety. On the other hand, somatic anxiety relates to events that deal directly with psychophysiological issues, with activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, and that the athlete may perceive as muscle tension, fast heartbeat, sweating, and respiratory changes .4
Pons and Garcia Merita in 1994 4; mention that "physiological indicators of anxiety may be classified as respiratory and cardiovascular, biochemical and electrophysical". Considering this, somatic distress falls directly on the physical part of the athlete, of course hurting the performance, learning and development strategy including the athlete, since increasing the rate of the heartbeat, frequent bad muscle tension and incongruent rhythm of breathing; all this makes the athlete to not have full control of his body. Finally, somatic anxiety is the physical component of anxiety which reflects the perception of physiological responses such as increased heart rate, respiration and blood muscular. 4
State Anxiety is an immediate emotional state characterized by apprehension, fear, tension and increased physiological activation. In contrast, trait anxiety is a predisposition to perceive some environmental situations as hazardous and respond to these situations with increased state anxiety, Spielberger 19712 mentions in the following example which clarifies the relationship between trait anxiety and state anxiety: "If an athlete has a high level of competitive trait anxiety, is likely to respond to a real competitive situation with a high level of competitive state anxiety". The state anxiety, a transient emotional state is always changing and is characterized by subjective and conscious feelings of apprehension and tension associated with activation of the autonomic nervous system, in contrast, trait anxiety is behavioral disposition that tends to perceive as threatening some circumstances which are not objectively dangerous, and then to respond with disproportionate anxiety state. Usually, people with high trait anxiety experience more state anxiety to extremely competitive situations and evaluation that people have less trait anxiety. 4 There is a direct relationship between levels of trait anxiety and state anxiety of an athlete. Research has increasingly shown that people who score high on measures of trait anxiety also experience more state anxiety to very competitive situations and evaluation situations.
The objectives of any relaxation technique are very clear, basically improve the recovery of the physical demands of training or matches and the other, certainly contribute to the fitness of the athlete, since being under a relaxation technique psychological skills such as breathing and controlling it in times of increased anxiety are touched; other psychological skill that works with relaxation is to be more aware of the heart beats, which consecutively will benefit the athlete and that in times of increased pressure, knowing how breathe deeply during a dead time of any sport will help him to control those heartbeats, and the third for naming some is the one of muscle tension. Physiologically when the athlete has anxiety, as we saw in the previous chapter, it means bodily tension, for which relaxation consists of a technique in which the intervention goes muscle by muscle and precisely, with the body-mind knowledge that causes relaxation training the athlete in a situation of high anxiety or completeness for a better result can relax the muscle that feels stiff or stressed. Progressive muscle relaxation, which is a technique self-relaxation, is possible to do without the help of the monitor and in any environmental condition. 5 Jacobson’s principle is simple: tighten and contract the muscle and then relax paying attention to the feelings that this leaves to the changes made, in addition to this, the force in the muscle where you are working is due to a somatic control this force intervenes by releasing a body and mental relaxation. 5
The essence of the method is "a progressive and voluntary reduction of the contraction or of the muscle groups activity tone" as well as the corresponding nervous system mentioned in Jacobson 1938 6, the method is made up of two stages, the first is getting hard and the relax muscle or group of muscles to relax and focus on the sensations perceived and the second stage consists of progressively relax the muscle or group of these in addition to expel air when breathing muscles contracted previously concentrating in feelings of mind-body relaxation. The various laboratory investigations, conducted with electronic equipment, have shown that muscle relaxation induced by Progressive Muscle Relaxation influences the autonomic nervous system, as a result, a change in behavior. Jacobson used to mention in the years when he established the technique that unfortunately for complete control over the psychological sensations that arise from progressive muscle relaxation it is necessary a minimum of 50 sessions is to a maximum of 200 sessions, that is to say, much preparation time, when the athlete in high performance requires techniques that are equally or more effective but that do not have much preparation time. 6
The field of high-performance sport requires to its participants a complete mind control in order to have a good performance and hence a good efficiency, in this way neuroscience in sport, through its technology and its scientific field has been based has based much of its development in the use of accurate and appropriate instrumentation to measure, record, check the answers and reactions occurring the context mentioned. Psychology as a science of behavior, has also found the applicability of the instrument in both research studies and intervention. The history of psychophysiology found in psychophysical studies with characters like Müller referring to the qualitative aspect of sensory processes; Weber applied the measure to the stimuli used in discrimination experiences, consolidating the terms of sensory threshold, initial threshold and differential threshold for identifying issues related to the magnitude of the stimuli. 7 Something that surely we must consider is that the qualitative aspects that Jodra mentions (those that cannot be measured or which include a greater complexity to quantify the psychological skills of athletes) such as: cognitive focus, concentration, consistency and positive emotional reactivity problems are easily quantifiable through Biofeedback.7 The structural characteristics of Biofeedback devices have been transformed into modern computerized systems that allow measurement and recording of psychophysiological signals in a precise and rapid statistical treatment of data.7 In addition, Jodra mentions that these advances in instrumentation, try to reduce its size and components of the detection, managing portable devices transmit signals without direct contact through connection cables; Light and Sound System, has this advantage. Biofeedback then, is a technique that appeared in the 70s.7 This word comes from the Greek word "bios" meaning life and "feedback". It is a process by which the system receives information from its own operation so that it can self-regulate, to modify their behavior in light of the effects produced by this same behavior.7 Labrador defined Biofeedback as the process by which, through the use of appropriate instrumentation, immediate, direct and accurate information is given to the subject about psychophysiological processes from which he is not ordinarily aware, allowing to perceive the activity of these organic functions and subject to voluntary monitoring. In the above definition on Biofeedback, we find three important aspects:
Biofeedback is a set of experimental procedures guided to provide a body through an external sensory indicator, immediate and accurate information of one or more biological functions, usually for the purpose of producing changes in these functions. Referring to these quotes based on the conceptualization of Biofeedback, we can find the characteristics that talk about a quantifiable method for qualitative areas, those generated at points of maximum stress and competitive anxiety. Matching, in the fact that Biofeedback helps to meet the physical and emotional control based on a mental training, which its advantage is that the progress on the work performed, session by session, week by week can be seen. This fact helps directly motivation and security for the actions to be executed by the athlete or coach.
As shown in the background just cited, the athlete can work and experiment on the distress level - muscle relaxation, undoubtedly, muscles are the body part that resent the most when the athlete has no emotional control; in the same way it is vital to work with brain rhythms, cardiovascular activity and body temperature, which by making frequent use of Biofeedback training will learn to master. As mentioned by Tamorri 8 when stating that the integration of a self-management training in preparing an athlete aims to achieve two objectives:
It is also mentioned that the mechanisms of action of the training through Biofeedback, relaxation therapies and psychotherapies, action over the cognitive structure and promote the development of a conviction of "control" over anxiety and its psychobiological manifestations. He added that these treatments are based on operant conditioning of some important parameters of neuromatic character. 9
In summary, the first objective of biofeedback is to find the origin of the symptom (stress, pre-competitive, competitive and postcompetitiva anxiety, lack of confidence and lack of a positive reactivity to sports requirement) and then correct it, making change ideas or negative thoughts into positive thoughts and ideas that with a regular training can achieve success or fulfilling their sporting goals. In the process of Biofeedback relaxation different electrophysiological aspects happen in which a relationship to psycho-biological changes depending on level sets arise, note that are positive, which is present when the athlete relaxes. On the other hand, references to an amendment are made at the metabolic level, which, come to work with the physical aspect, so that the athlete required more to himself gradually. And finally, a modification that is made after a mental reaction, in which naturally substances that have to do with emotional stability are segregated, which means a better reaction to the controversy, in this case of the sport at all external factors that create a lack of homeostasis to the athlete.
In 1978, Hardt and Kamiya found that the increased participation of Alpha waves decreases the level of anxiety (and vice versa: lowest participation Alpha waves are associated with the intensification of anxiety). It was also observed that increased Alpha waves was accompanied by the enhancement of creativity and mental resistance especially under conditions of rivalry, in that same year, in some independent studies, Watson confirmed the impact of training of Alpha waves in decreasing anxiety. He also noted the persistence of effect achieved during a period of 18 months from the end of training. It also noted the improved functioning of long-term memory, speed of processing information, visibility and ability to take decisions.3 In 1993, Hardt and Gale pointed out that an increase in the frequency of alpha waves causes significant increased ease and fluency in creating concepts and images, which provides a basis to solve problems; a year later, Sterman and others showed that depletion caused by overwork promotes a weakening of Alpha waves accompanied by too much concentration in the external world, anxiety and little flexibility to solve problems.3 In 2001 Putnam underwent a group of soldiers to a method of neurofeedback during which a person who kept his eyes open increased Alpha waves. This training, besides increasing the amplitude of Alpha waves, decreased Theta waves. According to the author, this method can be used prophylactically prior to work under pressure and stressful situations that require an extended approach in the environment, and in the same year Tornton discovered the relationship between the relation of Alpha waves in the hemisphere and the results obtained in tests assessing auditory memory. 3
In preparation for the high-performance sports; in regard to the instrument there is a variety models belonging to Biofeedback approach and help to develop psychological skills, in this case, sportive. The LSS is constituted by a lens with small LEDs that emit visual signals of flashing lights, synchronized with an audio frequency; this, as in ancient times when witches and shamans occupied with drums and rattles rhythmic sounds to induce trance persons while sparks flew into the air, produce changes in EEG alpha and theta waves, which will lead to a state of conscious relaxation, which will take the user to a state of conscious relaxation, where with he can have voluntary control over bodily reactions and behaviors during that state.9 (see Figures 1 and 2) Aristotle used the term "psychogogia" to describe a state in the theater viewer in which his mind made him feel "captivated", "in trance", "absorbed" or "carried" by the spectacle they were witnessing, a moment found semiconscious, in which there is confusion if what they are seeing is reality or a dream. 9 Foulkes and Vogel (1964) talk about a drowsy state just before the first stage of sleep characterized by a decrease in alpha frequency accompanied by slow circular eye movements.9 When the subject begins to fall in theta state, and especially when there is no beta or alpha frequencies mixed with theta, most people lose consciousness, officially entering the first stage of sleep. 2 There is a moment during this stage that the subject is between deep relaxation and falling asleep, called State Twilight, sleep aid, here brainwaves decrease to smaller amplitude waves, which is theta rhythm, this transition lasts between 5 and 10 minutes normally, but with the LSS this steady state can be maintained and thereby promote relaxation and activation of the person and helps to improve decision making while awake.
In the middle of the sports research, there are many instruments that yield quantitative data on anxiety, which is essential to denote progress or problems in the athlete. Citing some we can find: the Competitive Anxiety Test (SCAT), the competitive state anxiety inventory (CSAI) and Competitive Anxiety Questionnaire (SAS-2). 10 This questionnaire was used to evaluate anxiety that athletes experience when facing a situation of competition. With help of the questionnaire SAS-2 high internal consistency for each of the subscales is obtained, even when tested on samples of very young athletes from nine to fourteen years old. This questionnaire was used to evaluate anxiety that athletes experience when facing a situation of competition. The scale consists of 22 questions: 18 describe statements about one and 4 are fillers, thus providing no points at the end result. Each question is answered by choosing a value on a scale of 5 options that answer whether the statement "is true" to who replied, yielding a value ranging from 1 ("is never true") to 5 ("always true"). We quote this instrument since nowadays in Europe a high degree of consideration on its use and effectiveness is taken as well as in the results obtained by it.
It can be mentioned that there is a significant reduction in the level of anxiety with the use of the LSS. This reduction occurs for an absolute control of the surrounding environment (zero noise and zero distractors) and works directly with the central nervous system, resulting in homeostasis that allows a better control of emotions and thoughts. For this reason LSS, belonging to Biofeedback is an effective tool for emotional control and reduction of competitive anxiety.
Fig 1. Aplication of LSS to an injured athlete
Fig 2. Aplication of LSS in athletic performance
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[1] Universidad del Futbol y Ciencias del Deporte. Pachuca, Hidalgo, México.
Author for Correspondence: José Manuel Acuña Ávila. mental_imagery@hotmail.com