Show Notes
This week, Richard Graves is joined by Dr Alicia Naser, behavioural scientist and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology.
Dr Naser works with professional athletes and organisations across hockey, tennis, baseball, basketball and golf, helping them understand the relationship between behaviour, physiology and performance under pressure. In this episode, she explains why mental performance should not sit separately from physical preparation, and how fatigue, heart rate, self-talk and emotion can all influence an athlete’s ability to execute when it matters.
The conversation explores the practical value of becoming more aware of internal responses during competition. From using frustration constructively rather than trying to suppress it, to striking the right balance with wearable data, Dr Naser offers a behavioural-science lens on high-performance sport that will be useful for practitioners, coaches and athletes alike.
In this episode you will learn
Why mental health and mental performance are related, but not the same thing
How physical fatigue can affect clarity, decision-making and execution
The relationship between heart rate, anxiety and an athlete’s self-talk
Why emotional awareness can itself be a useful performance intervention
How frustration can be used to create focus and competitive intent
Where breathing strategies fit within performance under pressure
How to use wearable data without becoming overly dependent on it
Why mental and physical preparation should be integrated across a performance programme
How practitioners can use pre- and post-intervention data to build organisational buy-in
A simple journalling exercise athletes and coaches can use to identify performance barriers
About Dr Alicia Naser
Dr Alicia Naser, PhD, BCBA-D, is a behavioural scientist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and founder of The Naser Institute for Behavioral Sports Psychology. Her work combines behavioural science, physiology and mental performance to support professional athletes, coaches and organisations. Dr Naser has more than 12 years of advanced study, research and applied work in behavioural psychology, and works across a range of elite sports including the NHL, ATP Tour, MLB, NBA, PGA and Premier League.
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