Diet and Sport Psychology (Adult Population)

This 2020 study tries to better understand the choking phenomenon, which is described as the serious decline in skilled technical movements experienced because of high perceived pressure. In the first experiment, 20 diving athletes were tested in low- and high-pressure situations. One of the objectives was to gather data on the relationship between the gut microbiota and the choking phenomenon among diving athletes. The gut microbiota composition of those who “choked” were compared to that of athletes who did not “choke” and performed under pressure. The second aim of this study was to determine if the choking phenomenon is affected by regulation of the gut microbiota via drinking yogurt. Ten divers consumed higher amounts of yogurt per day while the remaining 6 divers ate lower amounts of yogurt every day. The results indicated that “chokers” tended to have significantly more Veillonellaceae in their guts, compared to “non-chokers”. Choking was also negatively associated with the population sizes of Bifidobacteriaceae and Lactobacillaceae in the gut. Also, the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae was significantly higher in the high yogurt group than in the low yogurt group. It was also found that the high yogurt group was less likely to “choke” than the low yogurt group. The study uncovered that the gut microbiota may influence the choking phenomenon in elite diving athletes. The consumption of the yogurt containing B. animalis subsp. Lactis can improve the athletes’ ability to perform under pressure.