NCT05612295

Mindfulness-Based Peak Performance, Endurance Performance Under Pressure, Performance-relevant Mental Attributes

Effect of Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Endurance Performance Under Pressure and Performance-Relevant Mental Attributes an Interdisciplinary Perspective

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 97 (actual)
• Sponsor: National Taiwan Normal University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The primary aim of this study is to conduct a well-designed trial to investigate the effect of an MBI program entitled Mindfulness-based Peak Performance (MBPP) on endurance performance under pressure from an interdisciplinary approach of sport psychology, sports training, and cognitive neuroscience. The secondary aim is to examine the effect of MBPP program on performance-relevant mental attributes in behavioral and neurocognitive assessments. The present study hypothesizes that the MBPP and self-talk groups will improve performance under pressure, but MBPP is expected to show greater improvement than ST. Additionally, we expect the MBPP will improve the relevant mental attributes.

Detailed description

Considering that increased competition levels are typically accompanied by elevated stress and anxiety, athletes' ability to cope with stress has gained even more importance in recent years. Growing evidence has demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness in reducing stress and enhancing athletic performance; however, its effectiveness remains a matter of debate and limitations due to absence of more rigorous designs, ecological validity, and randomized controlled trials. Accordingly, the current trial, entitled Mindfulness-based Peak Performance (MBPP), will take an interdisciplinary approach (e.g., sport psychology, sports training, and cognitive neuroscience), to more definitively examine whether a tailored mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) affects athletic performance under pressure and relevant mental attributes. Specifically, this study is an 8-week, three-arm, randomized controlled trial (RCT), and eligible participants will be randomly assigned into (1) an MBPP group (MBPP), (2) a self-talk group (ST), and (3) a wait-list control group (WC). The primary outcomes (e.g., endurance performance under pressure, performance-relevant mental attributes) and secondary outcomes (e.g., dispositional mindfulness, sports psychological skills) will be assessed before and after intervention. The MBPP and ST are expected that will improve performance under pressure, but MBPP might show greater improvement than ST. Additionally, MBPP is expected that will improve performance-relevant mental attributes. The results from this trial might provide rigorous evidence and insight into MBI application in the sports context.

Conditions

• Mindfulness
• Sport Performance
• Neurocognitive Function
• Stress

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	MBPP	MBPP program consist of three fundamental principles (i.e., attention monitoring, acceptance, sport-specific rationale) and six performance-related core mental attributes including three behavioral and three neurocognitive components. Each session will start with a brief homework discussion and recap of the preceding session, and instructors will deliver a topic-related brief story or group activity to participants, followed by a theoretical introduction and practice of mindfulness. Finally, at the end of each session, instructors will guide participant to discuss mindfulness applications related to specific sports performances. At the end of the session, participants will be assigned homework to increase the effectiveness of MBPP, and participants will be encouraged to practice daily for at least 10-15 min between the sessions.
BEHAVIORAL	Self-talk	self-talk sessions include: Session 1 \& 2. The concepts, types, and the importance of self-talk will be introduced; Session 3. Researchers, coaches and the athletes will work together to design syntactically recognizable, concise, and clear sport-specific instructional scripts for specific sports performance (e.g., running); Session 4. practice of sport-specific instructional self-talk; Session 5. researchers, coaches and the athletes will work together to design syntactically recognizable, concise, and clear sport-specific motivational self-talk scripts for specific sports performances; Session 6. practice of sport-specific motivational self-talk; and Session 7 \& 8. general practice for learned self-talk techniques.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-09-05
• Primary completion: 2024-12-31
• Completion: 2024-12-31
• First posted: 2022-11-10
• Last updated: 2026-03-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Taiwan