Archery is a representative sport requiring a high level of concentration. Compared to other sports, archers are significantly influenced by psychological factors. The assessment of physiological and psychological factors related to tension, anxiety, and stress in archery competitions represents a valuable resource for enhancing performance. A related study revealed a correlation between elevated heart rate and competition anxiety with diminished performance in archery [1]. A study examining the relationship between cognitive anxiety and performance in 106 athletes revealed a robust negative correlation between these variables [2]. In general, stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympatho-adrenal medulla (SAM). The activity of the HPA axis has been demonstrated to elevate cortisol levels, while SAM has been shown to increase catecholamine levels. In competitive settings, anxiety and stress levels in athletes are typically assessed through the measurement of blood cortisol and catecholamine levels. However, in real-life sporting scenarios, the use of a simpler salivary method is often recommended. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) and salivary cortisol (sC) are used as biomarkers to assess anxiety, tension, and stress levels owing to their increased activity in situations of physical and psychological anxiety, which is attributed to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system [3,4]. Previous studies have reported that acute stress is associated with a significant increase in sAA levels and that patients with chronic stress exhibit elevated sAA levels [5,6,7]. L-theanine, a functional food that has demonstrated efficacy in reducing anxiety, tension, and stress, has recently garnered considerable attention. It is biosynthesized from glutamine and ethylamine in the roots of green tea by enzymatic activity and is degraded in the presence of sunlight to ultimately convert to catechins, a polyphenol [8]. L-theanine has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the brain and reduce stress and anxiety [9]. In particular, L-theanine affects the release of neurotransmitters in brain neurons, increasing levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, and dopamine, thereby reducing anxiety and stress hormone secretion in stressful situations [10]. L-theanine has been demonstrated to induce a decrease in beta waves and an increase in alpha waves in the electroencephalogram, as well as a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure [11]. White et al. determined that 200 mg of L-theanine resulted in a notable reduction in the subjective stress response one hour after administration, as well as a significant reduction in cortisol levels three hours after administration [12]. In a related study, four weeks of L-theanine administration resulted in a reduction in anxiety levels [13], and curling players reported improvements in performance and a significant decrease in cognitive anxiety levels [14]. Nevertheless, the physiological mechanisms underlying anxiety in real archery competitions remain poorly understood, and the efficacy of L-theanine for anxiety reduction in athletic contexts is particularly uncertain. This study examined whether theanine intake could reduce anxiety levels and biomarkers of anxiety during archery competition. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the effects of L-theanine administration on cognitive anxiety levels, sAA, and cortisol during official archery competitions, a sport where performance is highly dependent on psychological factors such as concentration, tension, anxiety, and stress.

The results of the analysis of changes in cognitive anxiety, sC, and sAA at pre-30, pre-20, and pre-10 and 20 minutes after the match (post-20) are presented in Table 1. As the game drew nearer, there was a notable rise in cognitive anxiety levels among participants in both groups. A significant reduction in cognitive anxiety levels was observed in the treatment group compared to the placebo group at pre-10, indicating that L-theanine administration was effective in reducing cognitive anxiety during archery competition (p<.05). As the game time drew nearer, sAA levels rose considerably in both groups, with an interaction effect being observed. In between-group comparisons, a significant decrease was observed in the treatment group relative to the placebo group at pre-20 and pre-10 (p<.05). Additionally, sC levels demonstrated a notable increase as the game drew nearer, a phenomenon that was observed in both groups and exhibited an interaction effect. A significant reduction was observed in the treatment compared to the placebo group at pre-10 (p<.05). In particular, sC levels were markedly elevated in the treatment group in comparison to the placebo group, specifically at post-20. The findings indicate that L-theanine supplementation in archery practice may attenuate sAA and sC levels, which are indicative of competitive anxiety.

The study revealed that as the game approached, there was a notable increase in cognitive anxiety levels. The placebo group exhibited a notable decline in cognitive anxiety levels compared to the treatment group. In particular, the placebo group exhibited a statistically significant increase in cognitive anxiety levels, with a three-fold increase in cognitive anxiety levels at pre-10 compared to pre-30. In a study on archery and anxiety, Salleh et al. (2020) reported that archery performance was associated with higher heart rate and competition anxiety, and lower performance was associated with higher pressure to compete [1,15]. In particular, the study demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in cognitive anxiety in the treatment group compared to the placebo group in the 10 minutes preceding the competition, suggesting that L-theanine was effective in reducing cognitive anxiety. These findings corroborate those of prior research [16], which has demonstrated that L-theanine is efficacious in mitigating stress, heart rate, and sympathetic ner-vousness. Furthermore, it has been documented that acute stress is associated with elevated sAA levels [7]. The findings of this study indicated that sAA and sC levels exhibited an increase as the game time approached, with a notable decline observed in the treatment group in comparison to the placebo group. The findings indicate that L-theanine may have a notable impact on anxiety reduction in archery. However, there was no difference in game performance between the two groups. This is believed to be due to individual differences in game skills and game rankings. At pre-10, the treatment group exhibited a notable reduction in cognitive anxiety, sAA, and sC levels in comparison to the placebo group. The results indicated that cognitive anxiety reached its peak just before the game, as evidenced by the data from pre-10 compared to pre-30 and pre-20, which was also reflected in the results for sAA and sC levels. A related study demonstrated that the secretion of sAA was markedly elevated in response to chronic stress and stress-related pathologies [17]. A significant elevation in stress assessments was observed in the L-theanine treatment group relative to the placebo group [18]. Additionally, a study examining sC, sAA, and anxiety levels in wushu athletes reported increases as the competition season drew near and notable reductions with mindfulness as an intervention [19]. The collective findings of this study and related studies indicate that anxiety scales and sC and sAA levels are reliable indicators of physiological and psychological assessment in athletes during competition. Additionally, the administration of L-theanine has been demonstrated to be an effective intervention for alleviating competitive anxiety in sports requiring a high level of concentration, such as archery.

In between-group comparisons, cognitive anxiety levels were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to the placebo group at pre-10; sAA levels were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to the placebo group at pre-20 and pre-10; and sC levels were significantly reduced in the treatment group compared to the placebo group at pre-10. These findings indicate that L-theanine administration may be an efficacious intervention for the alleviation of competitive anxiety in sports requiring a high level of concentration, such as archery.