Mindfulness Facets, Sport Anxiety, and Psychological Outcomes in Ultra-Trail Runners: A Pre-Competition Study
Pierrick Laulan, Jérôme Cuadrado, Roberta Antonini Philippe, Ulrike Rimmele
Research Square January 27, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8649683/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional observational study Longitudinal |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 216 |
| Population | Ultra-trail runners (86.6% men; mean age 41.3 years, SD 8.6) assessed 6–8 weeks before a major competition |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Sport Anxiety Scale-2, Athlete Burnout Questionnaire, Chalder Fatigue Scale, WHO-5 Well-Being Index |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Acceptance-related mindfulness facets (Non-judging, Acting with Awareness) were associated with lower burnout, less fatigue, and greater well-being in ultra-trail runners. Indirect associations with burnout via cognitive anxiety were substantially stronger than via somatic anxiety, and the authors state the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. |
Abstract
Abstract Objectives Ultra-trail runners face sustained psychological demands during pre-competition preparation, yet little is known about factors associated with mental health in this population. Guided by Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT) as a heuristic process framework, this study examined associations between mindfulness facets, sport anxiety, and psychological outcomes in ultra-trail runners.
Method: Participants were 216 ultra-trail runners (86.6% men; M age = 41.3 years, SD = 8.6) assessed 6–8 weeks before a major competition. Measures included the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Sport Anxiety Scale-2, Athlete Burnout Questionnaire, Chalder Fatigue Scale, and WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped confidence intervals.
Results: Non-judging and Acting with Awareness showed consistent negative associations with burnout ( β = − .25 to − .30), fatigue ( β = − .20 to − .24), and positive associations with well-being ( β = .15 to .27). Observing showed null or marginally positive associations with burnout. Sport anxiety showed a statistically significant indirect association in the Non-judging–burnout link (27.8% of the total effect). Notably, parallel mediation models revealed that indirect pathways via cognitive anxiety were substantially stronger (37.1%) than via somatic anxiety (2.0%). Exploratory analyses suggested a small, marginal Observing × Non-judging pattern, whereby Observing was positively associated with burnout only at low levels of Non-judging.
Conclusions: Acceptance-related mindfulness facets were associated with lower burnout in ultra-trail runners, with statistical indirect associations via cognitive anxiety stronger than via somatic arousal. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference; however, these associations may help inform hypotheses for future longitudinal and intervention studies examining whether acceptance-focused mindfulness training and cognitive decentering reduce pre-competition cognitive anxiety and burnout risk in ultra-endurance athletes.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety. International sample of people who reported having used a psychedelic | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 985 |
| The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms Internet survey respondents reporting challenging experiences with psilocybin | 2016 | Questionnaire development and validation | |
| Psychedelics and Mental Health: A Population Study Adult population in the United States | 2013 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 130,152 |
| Ecstasy/MDMA attributed problems reported by novice, moderate and heavy recreational users Ecstasy users who participated in a WWW study of recreational drug use | 2002 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 282 |
| 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) used in a naturalistic group setting is associated with unintended improvements in depression and anxiety. Adults who used 5-MeO-DMT in a group setting with structured procedures | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 362 |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- A meta-analysis of the association between mindfulness and motivation Frontiers in Public Health August 8, 2023
- Effects of mindfulness intervention on competition state anxiety in sprinters—a randomized controlled trial Frontiers in Psychology October 31, 2024
- Psychological mechanisms and neural correlates of trait mindfulness in emotion regulation: Testing a novel approach to the monitor and acceptance theory. International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP October 25, 2024
and 10 more in the library