Short-term mindfulness intervention mitigates mental fatigue effects on basketball technical performance
Shudian Cao, Soh Kim Geok, Zi Wang, Jia Liu
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications July 9, 2026 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-08276-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cluster randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 54 |
| Population | Male basketball players aged 18–24 from three universities |
| Intervention | Audio mindfulness intervention |
| Duration | Single session; no follow-up reported |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Basketball Intervention counseling Mental fatigue Mental health Psychological intervention Clinical psychology Psychotherapist |
| Key findings | A 30-minute short-term audio mindfulness intervention attenuated mental fatigue-induced declines in basketball technical performance (points, rebounds, field goal percentage) and attention compared with a mental fatigue group. |
Abstract
Mental fatigue (MF) negatively affects athletes’ performance, particularly in basketball, where decision-making and technical skills are crucial. This study aims to examine whether a 30-min short-term audio mindfulness intervention could mitigate MF-induced decline in basketball technical performance. This study employed the cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) design. A total of 54 male basketball players aged 18–24 were recruited from three universities and randomly assigned into a control group (CG), mental fatigue group (MFG), and mental fatigue-mindfulness group (MF-MG). A 30-min Stroop task was first used to induce MF in the MFG and MF-MG. Subsequently, participants in the MF-MG received a 30-min short-term audio mindfulness intervention. MF was associated with reduced attention and several technical performance indicators (points, rebounds, and field goal percentage) compared with the CG. In contrast, the short-term mindfulness group reported lower perceived MF and showed better performance on these indicators compared with the MFG ( p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in motivation or mood among groups. The findings suggest that a short-term mindfulness intervention may help attenuate the negative effects of MF on basketball technical performance and attention in a controlled experimental setting. However, these results should be considered preliminary, and caution is warranted when generalizing to real competitive environments.