Arousal Regulation in Football Penalty Kicks: Impact of Breathing Techniques on Performance

Penalty kicks in soccer are decisive moments that generate intense psychological andphysiological pressure, which can affect a player's performance. This study aimed to evaluatethe effectiveness of two breathing techniques—the Wim Hof method and physiologicalsighing—in regulating psychophysiological arousal during penalty kicks. The techniqueinvolved a sample of young soccer players aged 16 to 19, whose arousal levels weremeasured using the CSAI-2 questionnaire. Participants were categorised according to theirinitial arousal profile and then underwent a three-phase protocol consisting of a baselineassessment, an appropriate breathing intervention, and longitudinal follow-up. The resultsshowed that the Wim Hof technique did not lead to a significant improvement in penalty kickperformance, despite a slight decrease in psychological arousal; no significant correlation wasfound between arousal variation and performance.In conclusion, although these breathing techniques may moderate players' arousal levels, noimprovement in penalty kick success was found. Coaches are therefore encouraged toapproach these interventions with caution. Furthermore, the limitations of the protocol(notably the absence of high arousal profiles in the sample) call for future researchincorporating complementary physiological measures to refine our understanding of the linkbetween arousal regulation and performance.