Effectiveness of multi-session mindfulness-based interventions on sport performance and competitive anxiety in competitive athletes: a systematic review of controlled trials
Ifdil Ifdil, Nur Adila Wafiqoh Zulvi, M. Fahli Zatrahadi
Journal of Counseling Education and Society September 21, 2026 DOI: 10.29210/08jces693900 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Competitive athletes |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Duration | Six to eight weeks |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Across 17 controlled trials, most reported performance improvements from multi-session mindfulness-based interventions, particularly in precision and endurance tasks like free throws, shooting, and rowing, while reductions in competitive anxiety were less consistent and sometimes equaled by psychological skills training. The authors suggest sport-specific programs of six to eight weeks are most promising and call for larger preregistered trials with objective outcomes and follow-up. |
Abstract
Competitive athletes perform under evaluative pressure, and competitive anxiety threatens sport performance. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are increasingly adopted in applied sport psychology, yet controlled evidence on their effects on performance and anxiety remains fragmented. This review synthesised controlled trials examining whether structured multi-session MBIs improve performance and reduce competitive anxiety in competitive athletes, and which programme characteristics accompany favourable outcomes. The review followed the PRISMA 2020 statement and a PICOS framework. Scopus was searched with a Boolean string combining mindfulness, athlete or sport, and performance or competitive anxiety terms, limited to English-language open-access journal articles published between 2016 and 2025, yielding 521 records. Eligible studies were randomised or non-randomised controlled trials of multi-session MBIs reporting objective or observer-rated sport performance or competitive or sport anxiety; single-session, uncontrolled, and non-athlete studies were excluded. Seventeen studies met the criteria. Most reported performance gains, particularly in precision and endurance tasks such as free throws, shooting, and rowing, whereas anxiety effects were less consistent and sometimes matched by psychological skills training. Sport-specific programmes lasting six to eight weeks appeared most promising. The findings support MBIs as a complementary performance tool, while larger preregistered trials with follow-up and objective outcomes are needed.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Across 17 controlled trials, reductions in competitive anxiety from mindfulness-based interventions were less consistent than performance gains and were sometimes equaled by psychological skills training.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on anxiety, most cited first.