306 Effects of a cognitive behavioural intervention on stress, recovery and performance

The conditioning of athletes may be described as a multi-level (psycho-socio-physiological) interaction of stress and recovery events which stimulate change in performance. Cognitive Behavioural Stress Management (CBSM) has previously demonstrated favourable changes in biological stress indicators, consistent with reductions in sports injury, and accelerated recovery following surgery. However, the effects of CBSM on the conditioning process (including the interactions of stress, recovery and performance change) remain speculative. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a time-limited CBSM program on athletes’ conditioning through assessment of stress, recovery and performance indicators. Thirty-two Collegiate rowers (mean 20.0 years, range 18 - 29 years) preparing for the 2007Australian Rowing Championships volunteered for stratification into 16 intervention-control matched pairs. The study spanned 17 weeks with one week of baseline assessment followed by three weeks of CBSM training and 13 weeks of continued practice and monitoring for the intervention group and for the control group. The intervention group was provided with six 1-hour sessions of instruction on the regular use of CBSM methods in response to daily stressors. The control group was offered the intervention at the end of the study. Salivary cortisol was measured weekly at the same time and same day of the week. Perceived stress, recovery and performance readiness were assessed through the Recovery Stress Questionnaire for Athletes, time to complete a maximal 2000m ergometer time-trial and a training log. Data are being analysed using SPSS, and results will be available for presentation.