External Factors and Athletic Performance

The science behind athletic performance has progressed significantly with the advancement of technology and research of sport. The current review examines further the effects of several external factors on athletic performance. Factors were deemed external if they involved either variables out of the athlete’s control or an athlete’s conscious decision. Addressing playing environment, voluntary consumption of alcohol, sleep, a variety of emotions, and team environment contributes to a better understanding of the wide variety of factors that may influence athletic performance. The conclusions reveal ways in which awareness of external factors may impact overall performance. . FACTORS IN PERFORMANCE 4 External Factors and Athletic Performance Humans have participated in sports since the earliest days of existence. Perhaps not as sports are viewed currently, but running during a hunting brigade or jumping over a stream involved motions that are still used today. With the introduction of competitive sports, most notably from the Greeks and Romans, scientists began looking for ways to improve athletic performance and, ultimately, to win. Anatomists and kinesiology professionals have discovered many internal factors that contribute to sports performance such as muscle fiber type, genetics, and VO2 max. In addition to these, external factors such as playing environment, voluntary alcohol usage, sleep, emotions, and the team environment may also influence sports performance. These specific external factors will now be discussed in greater detail.