Education
Institute of HeartMath Education Applications

Education Applications: Performance

Sports Performance

Sports are woven into the fabric of life and are an integral part of educational systems around the world. Success at sports for young people in school can truly enrich the learning experience, but too often success is measured by being the fastest or strongest, coming in first and being the best, by trophies, medals and ribbons. The ones who stand out often garner the greatest attention, whether it’s from coaches, admiring fans or fellow students. Those who play their roles on a team, but don’t stand out or who have little proficiency at sports can experience emotions ranging from inferiority, weakness or even failure. These emotions often sap a girl or boy’s desire to stay with a sport and can spill over into and taint other areas of their lives.


For when the One Great Scorer comes
To write against your name,
He marks – not that you won or lost –
But how you played the Game.

– From a Poem by Sportswriter Grantland Rice, 1880-1954


Balancing Emotions in Sports – and Your Life

Not surprisingly, a great deal of science and technology have been applied toward efforts at enhancing sports performance, much of it related to physical conditioning. The Institute of HeartMath adds the dimension of emotional training, a kind of "inner technology," to the athlete’s regimen. HeartMath techniques, heart-rhythm biofeedback programs, learning materials and the emWave® technology already have helped many thousands of students of all ages around the world to begin managing emotions, reducing stress and improving their personal performance – sports, academics, relationships and more.

For young people struggling with changing emotions as they mature from children to adolescents and young adults, this added pressure can be confusing and taint the thrill and fun of participating in sports. The lessons of sportsmanship, commitment, teamwork and fair play may also be adversely affected.


"An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets. He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head."

– Emil Zatopek, 1922-2000, Czech Runner, Considered One of the Greatest of the 20th Century


The Institute of HeartMath has explored the physiology of learning for nearly two decades. Our researchers have established through numerous scientific controlled studies that training in emotion management skills during students’ educational years can have dramatic success. Through the advances of science, we can watch the direct link between our heart rhythms and emotions – on a computer screen no less, and in our own homes. We can watch as erratic rhythms stabilize when we utilize the intelligence of the heart and heart focus to intentionally experience positive feelings such as love, caring and compassion.

When people first learn to recognize the emotions they’re experiencing and that they themselves can manage them, they typically feel a sense of empowerment that can change their lives for the better quickly: Students are able to form healthier relationships with teachers, family and peers. Now, instead of struggling with or not acknowledging academic anxieties over such things as test-taking, essays, term projects, etc., and carrying their worries out onto the athletic field, students can rely on these skills to help them through the rough spots.

Facts at a Glance:

HeartMath training programs impact sports performance by:†

  • Preparing athletes for activities that require concentration and motor coordination.
  • Maximizing emotional calm, concentration and focus during competitions.
  • Moving athletes into "the zone" for achieving their best.
  • Lowering performance anxiety, transforming feelings stress and worry into productive energy.
  • Improving teamwork and communication with coaches and parents.
  • Giving athletes instant feedback for stabilizing emotions, balancing the autonomic nervous system.
  • Helping athletes develop skills for creating a calm.
  • Enabling athletes to shift attitudes fast so sports activities are always satisfying.

† Adapted from HeartMath’s Managing Emotions, Golf’s Next Frontier: Ground-Breaking Techniques for High Performance.

Who Needs HeartMath Research-Based Programs?

  • Student athletes of all ages
  • Coaches of student athletes
  • Parents of student athletes

IHM Research Studies and Articles Related to Sports Performance

  • Heart-Rhythm Coherence Feedback: A New Tool for Stress Reduction, Rehabilitation, and Performance Enhancement: Heart-rate-variability feedback is an exciting new technology that has broad-based applications for stress reduction and the enhancement of health and human performance in clinical, workplace, sports and academic settings. Read the abstract.
  • The Effects of Heart Rhythm Biofeedback on the Athletic Performance of Women’s Collegiate Volleyball Players: This dissertation study, which is still in progress, is evaluating the impact of HeartMath tools on the performance of Azusa Pacific University’s women’s volleyball team in Azusa, Calif. Fourteen players are receiving individual coaching on how to use the tools over six weeks. The expected outcomes include improved sports performance, improved ability to manage stress in other areas of their lives and increased team cohesion during game play. Read the abstract.
  • Quantum Intech Announces Nokia Investment in HeartMath Technology: Quantum Intech’s technology and patented algorithms allow games and other devices to be driven and regulated by the user’s ability to obtain and sustain high-performance skills. QI’s technology is innovative and exciting and it will certainly appeal to the gamer generation as they challenge themselves to develop this new skill set. The technology also benefits consumers who have an interest in sports and fitness performance and in improving health and well-being. Read this story in HeartMath’s Winter 2005 newsletter.

Products and Programs for Enhancing Sports Performance

  • emWave® Desktop for Mac and PC: Learning how emotions affect physiology is easy, engaging and fun with this multifaceted interactive learning system. Student athletes can see in real time how their feelings impact their heart rhythms, and learn simple techniques for shifting from unstable or confusing emotions to coherent states. As student athletes gain mastery in shifting into coherence, they are learning to enter the athlete’s "zone" of optimal performance. Go to: emWave Desktop for Mac and PC.
  • emWave®2: Student athletes can use HeartMath’s groundbreaking handheld emotion management and stress reduction device at home or on campus to get real-time biofeedback on their emotions and how they affect their heart rhythms. It’s about the size of a cell and easily fits in a pocket, so students can carry it anywhere and use it any time. Go to emWave2.
  • Managing Emotions: Golf’s Next Frontier: The wisdom of this booklet, also available as an e-booklet, can benefit anyone participating in sports. All athletes, along with golfers of any age or skill level, can learn to achieve the emotional balance needed for high performance. Players learn how and why emotional blowups or meltdowns quickly sabotage hours of practice, and how to achieve and maintain optimal emotional states for extended periods, even during intense competition. Go to: Managing Emotions: Golf’s Next Frontier.

Stories about how IHM Enhances Sports Performance

  • The following letter of gratitude was from equestrian competitor Beverly Bennett to HeartMath 1:1 provider Dirk Stroda, founder of PeakPerformance Mental Coaching.

    "I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you for delivering to the CentreLine Stables equestrians your outstanding PeakPerformance seminar and workshop. The techniques you promote, combined with your timely follow-up and continued support, have been of immeasurable value to both riders and their horses.

    The results of my personal experience with the HeartMath System have been nothing short of dramatic, and I know that my fellow competitors feel likewise. In addition to being easy to comprehend and to learn, the techniques are readily available to the practitioner at any time, in any circumstance.

    The ways in which I have benefited from the HeartMath approach are undeniable. I am able to remain calm and mentally acute, focusing only on the moment. Whereas once I was affected by external noise and activity (not to mention the mental ’noise’ associated with competition), I now ride every stride, every second, with total focus. It feels as though I am riding in slow motion, where I can hear only what my horse and I are communicating to each other. Nothing else exists.

    Most important, though, is that the PeakPerformance tools have reignited my joy in competing. No longer a ‘nervous wreck,’ I ride only because I love every single moment of the partnership I enjoy with my horse. For me, success is the ’icing on the cake’ – the side benefit to the passion I feel for my horse and my sport. Your contribution to our competitive and personal achievements cannot be overstated.

    I have appreciated your patience, your availability, your sensitivity and your skillful guidance throughout. The PeakPerformance system is so much more than a competitive performance tool: It is life enhancing, benefiting anyone who chooses to apply it in their daily living. I would urge anyone wanting to improve their performance, competitively or personally, to experience the benefits of PeakPerformance and the HeartMath System."

    – Beverley Bennett, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

  • "I learned the FreezeFrame® Technique prior to the release of the (emWave® Desktop for Mac and PC Stress Relief System). Since the Freeze-Framer® (now called the emWave® Desktop for Mac and PC) came out, I’ve had more fun practicing the technique and challenging myself. Practicing with the program has helped me improve my ability to quickly shift into the zone. If you’re a golfer and haven’t learned Freeze-Frame, you need to – and make it fun. Learn it with the (emWave® Desktop for Mac and PC). I highly recommend it."

    – Peter Fox, Author of Natural Golf: A Lifetime of Better Golf

Funding Tips for Educational Resources:

  • Click here for links to information about a variety of federal, state and private educational funding sources for schools and districts interested in purchasing programs and products from the Institute of HeartMath.
  • Click here for information about the IHM Heart-Based Education Sponsorship Fund and to learn how you can apply to be a recipient.