Correlation between salivary alpha-amylase, anxiety, and game records in the archery competition

Purpose This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological and physiological changes and performance in archery, which is strongly influenced by psychological factors including concentration, tension, anxiety, and stress. Methods A total of 19 athletes from women's colleges who participated in the 30 m individual competition at the 34th President's Cup National Archery Competition in July 2016 were included in this study. The anxiety levels of the participants were assessed on a 10-point Likert scale, with 1 corresponding to "not at all" and 10 to "extremely anxious." Saliva samples were collected as follows: 10 min before the game (pre-10), 1 min before the game (pre-1), and 10 min after the game (post-10). Repeated measures general linear model ANOVA was performed to compare the mean values of salivary alpha amylase (sAA) concentrations and anxiety levels. The correlations between sAA, anxiety, and game records were analyzed using the Pearson's correlation method. Results The sAA concentrations increased significantly in pre-1 and post-10, but not in pre-10 samples. Moreover, anxiety levels increased in both pre-1 and post-10 samples, but not in pre-10 samples. Anxiety and sAA were positively correlated (p < 0.01), while sAA and game records, or anxiety and game record were negatively correlated (p < 0.01). Conclusion During the archery competition, the level of cognitive anxiety increased, sAA concentrations increased, and performance decreased. The study findings suggest that during archery competitions, anxiety hinders performance, and this effect may be related to the increase in sAA levels.