Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Promoting Athletic Performance and Related Factors among Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial
Yan Wang, Si-Man Lei, Jing-Jing Fan
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health January 22, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032038 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and meta-analysis Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Athletes in competitive sports |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions were reported as effective for athletes' athletic performance (narrative synthesis), mindfulness level (3 studies; standardized mean difference 0.50), and mindfulness-related psychological components (5 studies; standardized mean difference 0.81). No significant intervention effect was found for athletes' mental health (4 studies; standardized mean difference −0.03, 95% CI −0.35 to 0.29). The authors conclude that the evidence preliminarily supports potential effectiveness and that more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed. |
Abstract
In recent years, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been widely applied in competition sports with respect to athletic performance and mental health promotion, whereas evidence of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has not been well summarized. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the existing evidence on the effects of MBIs on improving athletic performance, mindfulness level, mindfulness-related psychological components (e.g., acceptance, self-compassion, flow), and mental health (e.g., burnout, stress, psychological well-being) among athletes. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was implemented on five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect) and relevant review papers. The article selection, risk of bias assessment, and data extraction were performed by two investigators independently. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to evaluate the effects of interventions using the random effect model. Among the 1897 original hits, thirty-two eligible RCT studies were included in the systematic review, of which seven were involved in the meta-analysis. The results showed that MBIs were effective in promoting athletes’ athletic performances (by narrative synthesis), mindfulness-level (n = 3; SMD = 0.50, 95% CI = [0.17, 0.83]; I2 = 45%, p = 0.16), and mindfulness-related psychological components (n = 5; SMD = 0.81, 95% CI = [0.53, 1.10], I2 = 77%, p =0.001), while no significant intervention effects were found on the mental health of athletes (n = 4; SMD = −0.03, 95% CI = [−0.35, 0.29], I2 = 89%, p < 0.001). Our findings preliminarily support the potential effectiveness of MBIs, whereas more high-quality RCTs were needed in the future.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 27
- Impact of mindfulness-based interventions on sports performance and mental health: An umbrella review. Journal of exercise science and fitness October 1, 2025
- Mindfulness and impulsive behavior: exploring the mediating roles of self-reflection and coping effectiveness among high-level athletes in Central China Frontiers in Psychology January 11, 2024
- Mindfulness Training in Military Settings: Emerging Evidence and Best-Practice Guidance. Current Psychiatry Reports June 1, 2025
- Effects of long-term mindfulness meditation training on attentional capacity in professional male fencer athletes. Scientific Reports April 15, 2025
- Ego-depletion and motor skill performance under pressure-experimental effects of a short term virtual-reality based mindfulness breathing meditation with integrated biofeedback. Scientific Reports July 30, 2024
and 22 more in the library
Cites 16
- The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Athletes’ Flow: An Initial Investigation The Sport Psychologist June 1, 2011
- Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Athletes Psychology December 30, 2016
- Examining the Effects of Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment Training on Self-Compassion and Grit among Elite Female Athletes International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health December 23, 2021
- Effect of Brief Mindfulness Induction on University Athletes’ Sleep Quality Following Night Training Frontiers in Psychology April 12, 2018
- The effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on cognitive skills in young soccer players Exercise and Quality of Life January 3, 2025
and 11 more in the library