The relationship between mindfulness and athletes' mental skills may be explained by emotion regulation and self-regulation.
Aleksandra M Rogowska, Rafał Tataruch
BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation March 19, 2024 DOI: 10.1186/s13102-024-00863-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 156 |
| Population | Elite speed skaters (n=54) and university physical education students (n=102) from various sports disciplines and competitive levels |
| Measures | Sports Success Scale (SSS), State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity (SMS-PA), Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Elite athletes Interoceptive awareness Speed skating Sports success |
| Key findings | The authors report that the relationship between body mindfulness and psychological determinants of sports success was fully mediated by two interoceptive dimensions, self-regulation and attention regulation. They argue that cultivating body mindfulness may improve these capacities and thereby enhance the mental skills required for successful sports participation. |
Abstract
Although numerous psychological determinants of sports success have been identified in the scientific literature, research on the contribution of mindfulness and interoceptive awareness to sports achievements remains limited. This study investigates the relationship between self-reported mental skills determining sports success (i.e., flow state, attention, technique, sensitivity to error, commitment, and achievement), state mindfulness for physical activity (of the mind and the body), and interoceptive awareness (including scales of noticing, not distracting, not worrying, attention regulation, emotional awareness, self-regulation, body listening, and trusting). A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on a sample of elite athletes in speed skating (n = 54) and university students of physical education (n = 102) representing various sports disciplines and competitive levels. The Sports Success Scale (SSS), the State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity (SMS-PA), and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2) were used to assess psychological determinants of athletic achievements, state mindfulness, and interoceptive sensitivity, respectively. Our findings indicate some small-to-moderate differences in particular dimensions of psychological traits related to sports success, mindfulness, and interoceptive awareness between athletes of different genders, groups, and competitive levels. A chain mediation model showed that the relationship between body mindfulness and psychological variables determining sports success is fully explained by two dimensions of interoception: self-regulation and attention regulation. Cultivating the mindfulness state of the body can improve self-regulation and attention regulation, which in turn may increase the mental skills required for successful sports participation. Therefore, mental training should focus primarily on body mindfulness, attention regulation, and self-regulation to improve the mental skills responsible for athletes' sports achievements. In addition, individual differences in athletes' gender, sports discipline, and level of sports competition should be considered during mental training.