Psychological Predictors of Perceived Stress and Recovery in Sport

The purpose of the current study was to identify psychological predictors (i.e., exercise intensity tolerance, pain catastrophizing, perceived susceptibility to sport injury, and chronic psychological stress) of perceived acute stress and recovery responses. Athletes (N = 493, Mage = 20.04 years, SD = 2.15 years) completed a battery of online psychological questionnaires. Structural equation modeling results indicated that exercise intensity tolerance, pain catastrophizing, perceived susceptibility to sport injury, and chronic psychological stress had a direct positive effect on perceived stress. In addition, exercise intensity tolerance had a direct positive effect on perceived recovery, whereas pain catastrophizing, perceived susceptibility to sport injury, and chronic psychological stress had a direct negative effect on perceived recovery. Age, gender, and sport type were the only demographic variables considered for indirect effects on perceived stress and recovery. Gender was the only significant variable. The current data provide evidence for practitioners' consideration of monitoring individual-specific psychological predictors of perceived stress and recovery.