Influence of Mindfulness on Levels of Impulsiveness, Moods and Pre-Competition Anxiety in Athletes of Different Sports.
Laura C Sánchez-sánchez, Clemente Franco, Alberto Amutio, Jaqueline García-silva, Juan González-hernández
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) March 21, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11060898
Summary
Mindfulness training significantly enhances athletes' emotional regulation, helping them manage competition-related stress. In a study with 41 athletes (average age 22.8), those participating in a 10-week Flow Meditation program (N = 21) experienced notable reductions in impulsivity—cognitive (large effect size of 1.40), motor (1.20), and unplanned (1.66)—as well as mood improvements, including decreased tension (1.37), depression (1.42), anger (2.47), somatic anxiety (1.65), and cognitive anxiety (2.07). This approach fosters greater awareness and coping strategies in high-pressure sports environments.
Abstract
Training in emotional regulation skills is one of the most important resources for the adaptation of athletes to contexts of sports pressure, especially during competitions. This study explored the effects of a mindfulness programme (Flow Meditation) on levels of impulsivity, mood and pre-competition anxiety-state in a sample of athletes (N = 41, 22.83 ± 5.62 years). Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 21; 14 males and 7 females) which received the intervention over 10 weeks (a weekly session) and a control group (wait-list; N = 20; 13 males and 7 females). The variables under study were assessed through different questionnaires at pre- and post-test (T1-T2) in both groups. The mindfulness intervention was effective in reducing impulsivity (cognitive (t = -4.48, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.40), both motor (t = -4.03, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.20) and unplanned (t = -5.32, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.66)), mood (tension (t = -4.40, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.37), depression (t = -4.56, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.42), anger (t = -7.80, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 2.47), somatic anxiety (t = -5.28, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 1.65), and cognitive anxiety (t = -6.62, p ≤ 0.001, Cohen's d = 2.07) in the intervention group compared to the control group and with large to very large effect sizes. Mindfulness is a factor that enhances athletes' ability to cope with high sport pressure and the healthy management of competition (e.g., fear of failure), or with their daily life.