Do brief mindfulness-based interventions improve sport-related performance? A systematic review
Frontiers in Public Health February 5, 2026 Shudian Cao, Yuantao Cheng, Jia Liu et al.
Brief mindfulness-based interventions lasting 30 minutes or less can improve short-term sport-related performance, especially for precision-based motor skills like golf putting, hand grip strength, basketball tactical performance, and some basketball free-throw shooting and soccer penalty kicks. However, results for basketball free-throw accuracy were mixed, and no significant effects were found for muscular endurance. The interventions varied in type, duration, and delivery mode, with most using 4-30 minutes of audio-guided mindfulness. Evidence remains inconsistent across sport types, and conclusions are limited by the small number of available studies.