Flow Training Program: Mindfulness, Decision Making, and Mental Well-Being of Young and Adult Elite Handball Athletes.
Luis Martiny, Gonçalo Dias, José Pedro Ferreira, Rodrigo Mendes, Rui Mendes
Sports June 7, 2024 DOI: 10.3390/sports12060160 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 105 |
| Population | Young and adult elite handball athletes |
| Intervention | flow training program based on mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Awareness Non-judgment Perception Performance Refocusing Sports Tactical intelligence |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | A mindfulness-based flow training program improved decision making, mental well-being, dispositional flow state, non-judgment, refocusing, and mindful traits in daily life among elite handball athletes. |
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the effect of a flow training program based on mindfulness applied to young and adult elite handball athletes. A quantitative, quasi-experimental, descriptive data analysis approach was carried out. The sample included 105 athletes (51 female and 54 male). The athletes were divided into two groups: (i) experimental (n = 53) and (ii) control (n = 52). The results of the repeated ANOVA indicated that the experimental group achieved significant improvements compared to the control group in decision making (n2p = 0.086), mental well-being (n2p = 0.045), dispositional flow state (n2p = 0.103), non-judgment (n2p = 0.040), refocusing (n2p = 0.052), and mindful traits in daily life (n2p = 0.058). A Pearson analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between dispositional flow state and mindfulness in sport and mental well-being. The correlation analysis also showed an inverse correlation between decision making and sense of control and mindful traits in daily life. The findings revealed that the program can be effective in decision making, mental well-being, dispositional flow state, mindfulness in sport, and mindful traits in daily lives of athletes.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Effects of group mindfulness intervention on high-level distance runners: a quasi-experimental study. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 2025
- The relationship between China university basketball association athletes' mindfulness, self-efficacy in sports training, and training competition satisfaction: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. BMC Psychology February 2, 2026
- Finding flow at the piano: psychological regulation and configurational profiles among art students at Chinese sport universities. Frontiers in Psychology August 3, 2026
- Unlocking Flow Through Mindfulness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. The Journal of Psychology 2026
Cites 9
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- What defines mindfulness-based programs? The warp and the weft Psychological Medicine December 29, 2016
- Neural mechanisms of attentional control in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Neuroscience 2013
and 4 more in the library