Coping with Stress Reactions Using Biofeedback Therapy in Elite Athletes: Case Report

Professional athletes very often struggle with stress and anxiety throughout their careers, which can affect their overall performance in competitions. Biofeedback can provide them with an easy-to-use tool that allows them to control their emotional reactions and learn how to decrease their physiological reactions to the stress of their body. Excessive arousal can lead to overthinking and both mental and physical exhaustion. This case study describes the specific case of a professional athlete who had problems with high emotionality which interfered with the quality of training and competitive performance as well. The therapy consisted of six sessions, including a stress profile. The stress profile was performed to identify the reactions of different bodily functions (breathing, heart activity, muscle tone, electrodermal activity, peripheral temperature) on the variations of stressors. It also included education on the possibility of influencing the psychophysiological state and the principles of stress reactions. Subsequent biofeedback training focused on the features indicated. In the final session, a retest was performed using the stress profile, and an evaluation of the therapy success was conducted. After biofeedback therapy, a significant improvement occurred regarding the control of the bodily functions and lowered anxiety. The athlete's overall welfare also improved, and it resulted in better training and competition performance.