Pre-Competition Anxiety and Mood State in White-Belt Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: An Exploratory Comparison Between Medalists and Non-Medalists

Background: Combat sports performance is highly determined by psychological factors, and differences in pre-competitive anxiety and mood states can exist between medalist and non-medalists athletes; Methods: The present study aims to assess pre-competitive anxiety and mood state differences between medalist and non-medalists Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) athletes graded as white-belts. The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory–2 (CSAI-2) and the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) questionnaires were applied to 26 BJJ white-belt athletes before a fight in a national-level competition.; Results: Medalists presented less cognitive anxiety (22.36 ± 3.82 vs. 25.21 ± 3.17; p < 0.05) and higher mental confusion (9.86 ± 3.01 vs. 7.43 ± 3.01; p < 0.05) than non-medalist athletes. No significant differences were found in any other variable; Conclusions: The relationship between pre-competitive anxiety and sport performance is clear; however, higher mental confusion in medalists is a confounding result. More research is needed on this topic to elucidate the psychological phenomena of higher mental confusion in less-experienced athletes.