RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated the many bennies of social support—such as improved mental and physical health, to name two. A new study goes one step further and shows that support from friends and family also improves athletic performance. Their help and encouragement counteracts the stress that comes from having to perform a high-pressure task in public.

THE DETAILS: British researchers surveyed 197 male amateur golfers, assessing their perceived level of social support by having them answer a 15-question survey. They also polled them about any stressors they experienced during that week, and about their confidence level prior to the competition. The researchers found that social support seemed to offset the athletes’ stress by boosting their self-efficacy, or confidence. That, in turn, improved their performance on the links. The phenomenon seems to occur when an athlete is under pressure: Only the golfers who reported lots of support were able to perform at their usual level while under high stress. The behaviors that helped the golfers most were taking athlete’s mind off things, encouraging or boosting the athlete’s confidence, giving constructive criticism and technical advice, and helping the athlete set up and coordinate practice sessions.

WHAT IT MEANS: If you’re prepping for a 10K road race, intramural softball game, or any other athletic event that’s important to you, reach out to your people for support. Numerous scientific studies have proven that we are physically and mentally healthier when we’re surrounded by a supportive social network. This study shows that friends and family can make us more athletically adept too. In fact, the study authors say the positive effects of social support had a bigger impact on performance than negative factors like stress or anxiety. “In my 18-plus years of working with athletes, it’s clear that a supportive social system enhances an athlete’s performance, both on and off the field,” says Chris Carr, PhD, a sport and performance psychologist in Indianapolis. “Even though this study really only studied one gender (male) and one sport (golf), I think the findings reinforce what I see in my practice.”

Here’s what you can do to perform at your best, with a little help from your friends:

• Ask for what you need—and be specific. “Certainly, you can and should ask for support from the people around you if you feel you’re not getting it,” says lead study author Tim J. Rees, Ph.D., senior lecturer at the University of Exeter’s School of Sport and Health Sciences. “But you need to be careful to make sure the support is matched to your needs. Sometimes the support we receive just makes us feel worse—as when friends give us their opinion or advice that we don’t appreciate,” he says. If you need a buddy to remind you to stick with your practice schedule, say so. If you’re more in need of someone to calm you down when you get stressed about tomorrow’s game, say that.

• Don’t let support morph into stress. Family members in particular can be a tremendous support system—and an equally tremendous distraction, warns Carr, who ran a workshop for family members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Diving Team. If you feel that your family has ceased to be supportive—maybe they’re putting too much pressure on you to win—be honest and ask for some breathing room.