Alleviating sports anxiety in competitive settings through mindfulness meditation: an experimental study among female athletes
I. Saravanan, Andipatti Selvam, S. Sanjaykumar, Sreemathi Aruchamy, Pajanivel Durairaj, Sergio Sebastia-Amat, J. Longakit
Health, sport, rehabilitation March 14, 2026 DOI: 10.58962/hsr.1349 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 78 |
| Population | College-studying female athletes |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Dose | 15 minutes six days a week, plus 5 minutes before competition |
| Duration | 16-week intervention |
| Measures | Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation combined with regular training significantly reduced somatic and cognitive anxiety and increased self-confidence in competitive settings among female athletes, compared to a control group, at mid- and post-intervention. |
Abstract
Background and purpose Sports anxiety among athletes hinders their performance in competitions. Sports anxiety management secured special attention from coaches and athletes to increase performance in competitive settings. Mindfulness-based approaches improve performance by strengthening attentional focus, promoting acceptance of internal experiences, and reducing maladaptive cognitive interference during competition. Also, mindfulness training is associated with reduced stress, competitive anxiety, and improved emotional control. Many prior investigations have employed mindfulness interventions on mixed-gender samples, limiting their application to female athletic populations.
Purpose: The study aimed to explore the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in alleviating sports anxiety among female athletes during competition. Material and methods A total of 78 college-studying female athletes were assigned to either the Mindfulness Meditation Group (n = 39) or the Control Group (n = 39). The athletes in the Mindfulness Meditation Group (MMG) practiced mindfulness meditation for 15 minutes in addition to their regular sports training, six days a week, over a period of 16 weeks. The Control Group (CG) athletes didn't practice mindfulness meditation but followed their regular physical activity. Data on somatic and cognitive anxiety, and self-confidence were collected at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2R, administered thirty minutes prior to the competition. MMG athletes meditated for 5 minutes and provided their data at all times, and CG athletes didn't meditate at any time during the intervention.
Results: Results revealed that mindfulness meditation along with regular training, significantly reduced somatic anxiety and cognitive anxiety and increased self-confidence during competitive settings among MMG athletes. Additionally, MMG athletes reported significantly lower levels of somatic and cognitive anxiety, as well as higher levels of self-confidence, compared to CG athletes in the middle and post-intervention.
Conclusions: Thus, the study explicitly revealed that performing five-minutes of mindfulness meditation before the competition will reduce sports anxiety and support the enhanced performance of female athletes during competitions.