A rowing-specific mindfulness intervention: Effects on mindfulness, flow, reinvestment, and performance
Katherine V. Sparks, Christopher Ring
Frontiers in Psychology September 7, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.871804 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 44 |
| Population | Rowers |
| Intervention | rowing-specific mindfulness intervention |
| Duration | 6-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Intervention Reinvestment Mindfulness-meditation Athletic-performance Flow-states Rowing-sports Mental-training |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key findings | A 6-week rowing-specific mindfulness intervention increased flow, mindfulness, and performance, and decreased conscious motor processing, but did not preferentially change mindfulness or reinvestment compared to a control group. |
Abstract
Mindfulness can benefit athletes’ mindset and performance. These benefits may be enhanced by sport-specific mindfulness interventions. Accordingly, our objectives were 2-fold: first, to develop a rowing-specific mindfulness intervention, and second, to investigate its effects on mindfulness, flow, reinvestment, and rowing performance. Rowers were randomly assigned to either a 6-week rowing-specific mindfulness intervention (n = 23), which included generic and rowing-specific practices, or a control group (n = 21). Rowers completed pre-test and post-test measures of performance, mindfulness, flow, and rowing-specific reinvestment. Lastly, rowers completed an evaluation form following the intervention. The results demonstrated that the intervention group increased flow, mindfulness, and improved performance, additionally conscious motor processing decreased from pre-test to post-test. However, the intervention did not preferentially change mindfulness or reinvestment compared to control. Participants provided favorable feedback and evaluated the intervention positively. Our 6-week rowing-specific mindfulness intervention promoted flow, encouraged mindfulness, and aided performance. Thus, we provide preliminary explorative evidence that a sport-specific mindfulness intervention can benefit athletes. We recommend that future research, with large sample sizes and improved home practice, should examine mediators and moderators of the mindfulness-performance relationship.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- The effect of mindfulness training on the psychological state of high-level athletes: Meta analysis and system evaluation research. Journal of Sports Sciences March 1, 2025
- A systematic review of the mindful sport performance enhancement program International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology July 12, 2025
- The roles of readiness and dosage in predicting outcomes of a mindful sport performance enhancement intervention with U.S. college student-athletes. Psychology of Sport And Exercise 2024
- Mindfulness and self-rated performance among novice athletes in China: a sequential mediating role of flow and cognitive anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Effects of an 8-week Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment intervention on competitive anxiety, mindfulness, and 200-m sprint performance in junior female sprinters: a quasi-experimental study Sport Sciences for Health September 1, 2026
and 5 more in the library
Cites 13
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Greater efficiency in attentional processing related to mindfulness meditation Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology September 29, 2009
- The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Athletes’ Flow: An Initial Investigation The Sport Psychologist June 1, 2011
- Competence in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses: Concepts, Development and Assessment Mindfulness September 21, 2011
- The effect of meditation on shooting performance. British journal of sports medicine December 1, 1996
and 8 more in the library