Even Warriors Can be Scared: A Survey Assessing Anxiety and Coping Skills in Competitive CrossFit Athletes

Abstract

Competition anxiety has been demonstrated to decrease sports performance while increasing burnout risk. To date, its degree in CrossFit (CF) is unknown. The present study, therefore, examines competition fear and relevant coping skills as well as potential correlates of both in individuals participating in CF events. A total of n = 79 athletes answered a battery of three questionnaires (competition fear index, athletic coping skills inventory, mindfulness attention awareness scale). Substantial levels of anxiety, particularly regarding the somatic dimension of the competition fear index, were reported. The most pronounced coping skill was freedom of worry. While age or level of competition showed no/very small associations with survey data, sex was correlated to the psychological characteristics: women reported higher competition fears and lower coping skill levels (p > 0.05). Competition fears are highly prevalent in CF athletes and the preventive value of population-specific interventions, particularly in females, should be investigated in future trials.

Psychological variables of CrossFit participants: a systematic review

“…The reasons most commonly mentioned to practice CrossFit were the community, sense of inclusion, programming, and challenge 15/68.1% Swami [ 42 ] Body Image 63 Participants 34 men and 29 women 26.1 The scores on body and functionality appreciation, and on body acceptance were significantly higher at the second testing session (after 3 months of CrossFit training compared with baseline). The largest improvements in body appreciation and functionality appreciation were achieved by participants who attended CrossFit classes regularly, ≥ 4 days a week compared to ≤ 3 days a week 14/63.6% Wilke, Pfarr, Moller [ 19 ] Anxiety and Coping 79 Athletes 36 men and 43 women 32.7 The results indicated substantial levels of anxiety, particularly regarding the somatic dimension of the competition fear index. The most pronounced coping skill was freedom of worry.…”

“…To assess the methodological quality of the studies, the recommendations of STROBE (Strengthening the [33] were used to evaluate the qualitative studies. This scale has 21 items, and each study was given a score from 0 to 21 and was coded as being of low (score of 0-7), medium (score of [8][9][10][11][12][13][14], or high quality (score of [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

“…The sample comprised 3749 (52.79%) men and 3352 (47.21%) women. Two studies analysed athletes (n = 94) of CrossFit [19,35].…”

“…As reported by Dominski et al [ 16 ], CrossFit training is conducted with a great sense of belief and identify, with inherent rewards influencing exercise adherence. However, there is a need to know about other psychological variables that can influence in the participation such as mood states [ 18 ]; anxiety [ 19 ]; body satisfaction [ 20 ]; psychological needs and behavioural regulation [ 9 ].…”

Summary of the evidence on responses and adaptations derived from crossfit training. A systematic review.

“…Another variable in which CF practitioners tend to score high is that related to the practitioners' perceptions of enjoyment and fun (Sánchez-Alcaraz Martínez & Gómez-Mármol, 2015), even when compared to other modalities such as conventional strength training on their own or with a personal trainer (Box et al, 2018;Fisher et al, 2017;Marin et al, 2018). However, it is also worth noting that studies that acutely assessed negative emotions such as feelings of anxiety also found high values in CF athletes (Wilke, Pfarr, & Möller, 2020). Subjects with lower body fat, higher muscle strength and VO2 Max perform better on the WOD15.5…”