Focused Attention Meditation as a Pre-Exercise Strategy for Reducing Anxiety in Speed Skaters.
Yosuke Tomita, Mari Yokoo, Kaori Shimoda, Tomoki Iizuka, Eikichi Sakamoto, Koichi Irisawa, Fusae Tozato, Kenji Tsuchiya
Italian National Conference on Sensors January 11, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/s26020475 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized crossover study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 26 |
| Population | University-level speed skaters |
| Interventions | Focused attention meditation Controlled breathing Random thinking |
| Duration | Single session per condition |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Exercise physiology Focused attention meditation Heart rate variability High-intensity intermittent training |
| Key points | Focused attention meditation significantly reduced state anxiety compared with random thinking before high-intensity intermittent training, without affecting power output or fatigue. |
Abstract
Anxiety is a common psychological challenge among athletes, particularly in response to intense training sessions. This randomized crossover study investigated the immediate effects of a single session of focused attention meditation on anxiety, autonomic responses, and performance during high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) in twenty-six university-level speed skaters. Participants completed three pre-exercise interventions (focused attention meditation, controlled breathing, and random thinking) on separate occasions in a randomized order. Following each intervention, participants performed a leg cycling-based HIIT protocol consisting of 20 s of maximal effort work followed by 10 s of passive rest, repeated for 8 sets using a cycling ergometer. State anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and mood disturbance was evaluated using the Profile of Mood States. Autonomic and physiological responses were assessed via heart rate variability (coefficient of variation), oxygen uptake, and power output, measured before and after the intervention and the HIIT bout. Focused attention meditation significantly reduced state anxiety compared with random thinking (ΔSTAI: -5.0 [6.0] vs. -1.0 [4.3]; p < 0.05, effect size = 0.527), whereas controlled breathing primarily influenced heart rate variability (CV: 0.10 [0.11] vs. 0.07 [0.03]; p = 0.041, effect size = 0.736). No significant differences were observed among conditions in mean power output or fatigue index during HIIT. These findings suggest that single-session focused attention meditation may serve as a practical pre-exercise strategy for an immediate reduction in state anxiety, without compromising subsequent high-intensity exercise performance.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal Cell Reports Medicine 2023
- Effect of brief mindfulness and relaxation inductions on anxiety, affect and brain activation in athletes. Psychology of Sport And Exercise March 1, 2023
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Promoting Athletic Performance and Related Factors among Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health January 22, 2023
- Focused attention meditation in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional functional MRI studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews October 1, 2022
- Effect of one‐session focused attention meditation on the working memory capacity of meditation novices: A functional near‐infrared spectroscopy study Brain and Behavior August 1, 2021
and 7 more in the library