Learning & Teaching Tools For Performance Anxiety

Performance Anxiety Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Amro El Geziry, Team USA Modern Pentathlete, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and a true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about performance and anxiety. There are three things I would like you to know. First, the feeling of losing control is central to all anxiety. Second, performance and anxiety is normal, so do not judge it. And third, anxiety may manifest in different ways for each athlete.

At the age of 13, I started competing in modern pentathlon, a sport comprised of five different disciplines, fencing, free style swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting and cross-country running. From the beginning, I saw the sport as an opportunity for unique experiences like traveling, making friends, exploring different cultures. As I aged and progressed in the sport, I began to experience new pressures from my coaches while in competition at the World Cup, World Championship and Olympic games.

My sporting experience quickly transformed from one focused on making the most of unique experiences to one solely focused on winning. The better I performed, the more external pressure I felt. The more external pressure I experienced, the more I began to internalize the need to win. When I entered the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I was one of the top contenders for a medal. There were broad expectation for me to reach the podium, and in the end, the pressure to perform became overwhelming.

After having the best year of my career, being the most physically prepared and planning for the competition, I experienced my worst finish in more than four years. It was a difficult lesson for me to learn, but I now credit it for reminding me to trust my training, the process, myself during each competition. Now, when I can be even in a massive global stage, I avoid focusing on placement and where I will finish. Instead, I focus on doing my personal best and finishing a competition both satisfied and proud of the process rather than the outcome.

Learning to recognize the triggers of my performance and anxiety and figure out how to manage it was instrumental to my continual performance. Performance and anxiety is normal and is unique to the person experiencing it. Take a deep breaths, attempt small steps to confront the situation that cause you to be anxious and know you can always ask for help.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.