Sports Psych Basics: Avoid These 5 Pitfalls

Understanding the connections between mental health and performance may be the missing piece for high level athletes.

To effectively optimize performance, recognizing the impact of sleep, nutrition, time and stress on mental health is just as essential as consistent training.

Sport psychology is all about creating consistent habits for optimal performance. Prioritizing the mental side of an athlete’s training can be very helpful to overall success. Research suggests that at least half, if not more of sport success can be attributed to mental factors. Sport psychology training can be used for athletes in slumps, but more importantly to prevent setbacks in the first place. Furthermore, athletes can use sport psychology tools in daily training to assist in reaching performance goals. Here are 5 performance pitfalls to bypass to help reach those goals and bring your game to the next level.

Pitfall 1: Focusing on only the outcome and not the process

In athletics there is an innate focus on outcome. The most basic aspect of sport competition is based on the “win or lose.” Athletes often get stuck in this mindset and focus on outcome stats, feedback, accolades, or markers. For athletes to reach such outcome goals it is important to also include process goals. Athletes can use short term process goals to plan how or what steps are needed to reach the wanted outcome. This approach creates a motivational climate, encourages control of training, and can increase confidence.

Pitfall 2: Not flexing on when to eat

Athletes are at an increased risk for disordered eating and further subject to misinformation on social media. Therefore, proper education about nutrition is paramount to successful performance outcomes. As athletes progress through various training cycles, logistics often demand training sessions during traditional mealtimes. This altered schedule can lead to skipping meals and chronic under fueling. Finding ways to adjust fueling schedules to complement training is well worth the effort. Prioritize hydration, especially for early morning workouts. Get in an extra dose of electrolytes with Effer-Hydrate tablets. Creating a new normal for when to eat meals and snacks is crucial for both pre and post workout fueling and recovery.

Pitfall 3: More is not always better

Athletes are often driven to do as much training as possible. This mindset can lead to athletes being more susceptible to burnout. It is important that athletes deliberately schedule one off day from training for a mental reset. Mentally it is important to step away from sport and come back to training not only physically, but mentally refreshed.

Pitfall 4: Cheating sleep

Demanding schedules, travel and overall workload can cause many athletes to fall short of getting the recommended amount of sleep. Athletes often undervalue how poor sleep influences their ability to perform. Practicing good sleep hygiene and maintaining a regular sleep routine leads to enhanced performance outcomes, as well as reduced risks of injury and illness.

Make efforts to optimize your sleep space by diffusing calming essential oils.

Taking a dose of magnesium or Rest + Repair to help deliver a bedtime dose of nutrients that support overnight recovery.* Wearable sleep trackers may be useful to gain insight and data about sleep habits.

Pitfall 5: Misjudging alcohol

Athletes are taught to avoid alcohol directly before training but are often unaware how long the physiological effects of alcohol influence performance after a night (or multiple nights) of drinking. In addition to its negative impact on energy levels and hydration status, consumption of alcohol also impacts sleep quality, motor skills, aerobic performance, hormone levels and the ability to process several macro and micronutrients. These performance deficits can affect performance for extended periods of time. According to data published by the NCAA, two consecutive nights of drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages can affect brain and body activities for up to 5 days. For these reasons athletes can also benefit from education on what amounts to a serving of alcohol.

Common issues and sensible solutions

Pitfall	Solutions
Outcome Focus	Take the time to set a few process goals for the week. Be mindful of task relevant skills rather than outcome.
Meal Timing	Let go of traditional mealtimes. Eat every three hours and prioritized pre workouts fueling and post workout recovery
Training Schedule	Take at least one day off. Try activities or hobbies outside of your specific sport or daily training regimen.
Sleep	Be mindful, keep naps short, consider a wearable sleep tracker to better assess sleep habits and quality.
Alcohol	Be educated about portions of alcohol and impact of alcohol consumption on training timelines.

References:

• Lambert, V., Carbuhn, A., Culp, A., Ketterly, J., Twombley, B., & White, D. (2022). Interassociation Consensus Statement on Sports Nutrition Models for the Provision of Nutrition Services From Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Collegiate Athletics. Journal of athletic training, 57(8), 717–732. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0157.22
• Kussman, A., & Choo, H. J. (2024). Mental Health and Disordered Eating in Athletes. Clinics in sports medicine, 43(1), 71–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csm.2023.07.001
• Watson A. M. (2017). Sleep and Athletic Performance. Current sports medicine reports, 16(6), 413–418. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000418
• Wasted Workouts SportsRD.org; Accessed 1/20/2025: https://sportsrd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Wasted-Workouts.pdf
• Williams. Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance. McGraw-Hill Education. Kindle Edition.