Saúde mental do atleta:

evidências científicas e reflexões de uma visão integrativa do movimento.

Abstract

Body and mind are inseparable, whether in recreation or in high performance: mind and body work together. Athletes are often exposed to a wide variety of stressors and are susceptible to physical and mental illness, often working at their psychophysiological limits to overcome their own limitations. As a result, they may be exposed to the most common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. The purpose of this review is to outline a perspective based on the hypothesis of interoceptive awareness and how this tool could use to improve the mental health of athletes. Interoception is as the perception of peripheral afferent information that reaches consciousness. In this sense, interoceptive processing plays a significant role and actively participates in physical, cognitive, and emotional aspects of self-regulation and well-being. There is convincing evidence that athletes can inhibit the perception of peripheral afferents to cope with the psychophysiological demands of sport, requiring an elevated level of central nervous system activity for this regulation. In conclusion, there is a psychophysiological predisposition of genetic or environmental origin that allows the demands of sport, as well as excessive exercise, to cause the emergence of psychiatric disorders in athletes.