Abstract

In experimental there was an appreciable elevation in the levels of electromyographic activity recorded from the right forearm flexor of intercollegiatewrestlers prior to an important competition. With the aid of biofeedback, subjects in the second experiment maintained these same elevated levels of electromyographic activity before performing a battery of simple motor tasks.These elevated levels of anteccedent muscle tension were found to disrupt handsteadiness and grip strenght. Thus, the high levels of pre-competition muscletension occurring in athletes are capable of disrupting performance. The useof biofeedback relaxation techniques in the pre-competition period may significantly improve the performance of competitive athletes hampered by particularly high levels of pre-competition muscle tension. Verf.-Referat