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Effects of Psychological Interventions to Enhance Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
February 1, 2024
Gustaf Reinebo et al. (5 authors)
Journal ArticleSystematic ReviewMeta-AnalysisHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches on performance in competitive athletes compared to control conditions.

Results Summary

Mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches showed a moderate effect (g = 0.67) in improving performance compared to controls, but the effect was not stable when non-randomized trials and subjective performance outcomes were excluded in sensitivity analyses.

Population

Competitive athletes at regional or university level or higher.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (6)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
multimodal psychological skills training
increase
performance
competitive athletes
g = 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.21-1.45
outperformed controls
#1
mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches
increase
performance
competitive athletes
g = 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.01-1.32
outperformed controls
#2
imagery
increase
performance
competitive athletes
g = 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.14-1.36
outperformed controls
#3
psychological skills training
no change
performance
competitive athletes
no longer significant
overall estimates of the effect size were no longer significant
#4
mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches
no change
performance
competitive athletes
no longer significant
overall estimates of the effect size were no longer significant
#5
imagery
no change
performance
competitive athletes
no longer significant
overall estimates of the effect size were no longer significant
#6
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psychological interventions are commonly applied in sports to help athletes enhance their performance, but the effect psychological interventions have on actual performance is unclear despite decades of research. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analyses to investigate the effects of a wide range of psychological interventions on performance in competitive athletes. METHODS: A study protocol was preregistered in PROSPERO, and a literary search was performed in the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus databases. Psychological intervention studies were eligible by using a group design and a quantitative performance outcome with athletes competing at a regional or university level or higher. Included studies were assessed regarding intervention characteristics, research methodology, and risk of bias. A multi-level meta-analysis framework with cluster robust variance estimation was used to quantitatively synthesize the results. RESULTS: A total of 111 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 25 of these studies (37 effects) could be synthesized into five meta-analyses in which there were similarities in the type of psychological intervention, comparator, and experimental design. Meta-analyses I (multimodal psychological skills training vs control), II (mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches vs control), and III (imagery vs control) consisted of parallel-group studies, and random-effects models were used to calculate the standardized mean difference. Meta-analyses IV (attentional focus strategies, external vs internal) and V (regulatory focus performance instructions, prevention vs promotion) consisted of counterbalanced crossover design studies, and random-effects models were used to calculate the standardized mean change using change score standardization. Significant results were found in three of the meta-analyses (I, II, and III). Psychological skills training (g = 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.21-1.45), mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches (g = 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.01-1.32), and imagery (g = 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.14-1.36) outperformed controls with moderate effects. However, when non-randomized trials and subjective performance outcomes were removed in sensitivity analyses, the overall estimates of the effect size were no longer significant in any of the syntheses. CONCLUSIONS: The significant moderate effects for psychological skills training, mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches, and imagery are not stable, and further trials with robust research methodology, such as randomized controlled trials, are requested for all types of psychological interventions aiming to enhance performance in athletes. Moreover, improved reporting standards and the provision of datasets in open science repositories are important to consider in future trials in sport psychology. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42017056677.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansAthletic PerformanceMindfulnessPsychosocial InterventionAthletesImagery, Psychotherapy
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy67/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations5
Citations/Year5.0
Relative Citation Ratio2.67
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score2.76
Normalized Score0.62
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