Can an athlete’s relationship status affect his or her performance on the field? According to a new study, the answer is yes. 

"Relationships, as long as they're loving and healthy and happy, tend to be positively influencing athletic performance," said study researcher Kelly Campbell, a psychologist at the University of California, San Bernardino.

To examine the relationship between love and athletic performance, researchers asked 400 athletes, including 25 Olympic contenders, if they thought being in love helped them with their sport. 55% of athletes said that it did, with men being more likely to say that love aided them in their athletic endeavors.

However, not all love is created equal. Researchers found that compassionate love, the type of affectionate love found in long-term relationships, was more helpful to athletes than passionate love, the overwhelming feelings of exhilaration typically found at the beginning of a relationship. Why? Partners in a compassionate relationship are more likely to offer long-term support and assist partners with everyday duties than those in the first stages of love.

Researchers presented their findings at the American Psychological Association's meeting last week. Campbell and her team hope to perform other, less subjective, studies examining the relationship between love and athletic performance.

Source: Fox News, Photo: morgueFile

Tags: love and athletic performance, athletic performance, dating and relationships, athletes, athletes in love
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