Location

Turner Gymnasium

Access Type

Campus Access Only

Start Date

4-17-2024 12:00 PM

End Date

4-17-2024 1:15 PM

College

College of Health Sciences

Department

Athletic Training

Keywords

Flow state, sport performance, mindfulness, well-being, stress management

Abstract

The effectiveness of mindfulness techniques and the achievement of “flow state” on sport performance in collegiate and elite athletes are assessed thoroughly across the current literature. Given the importance of increasing athletic performance and decreasing stress and anxiety surrounding participation, the study synthesizes 3 selected studies to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness techniques on these factors. The methods that have been utilized include a systematic search across PubMed, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, OneSearch, Google Scholar, and SAGE Journals. Non-peer reviewed articles, case studies, case series, editorials, and any non RCT, meta-analysis, or systematic review are excluded from the study. To be included, a study must be dated between 1999 and 2023 and have a primary focus on elite and collegiate athletes and their relationship between mindfulness training, effectively achieving a steady state of flow, and sport performance. Results from the 3 studies all indicate that the facilitation and utilization of mindfulness techniques showed a positive association between experiencing flow state, decreased stress and anxiety levels, and improved athletic performance. The experimental group in the RCT study showed a significant increase in athletic performance and significant reductions in both experiential avoidance and sports competition anxiety compared to the control group (F=0.672, F=0.473, F=0.724, p=0.0032). Mindfulness techniques can be utilized as a clinical tool in attempts to reduce anxiety and improve athletic performance These findings can be applied to team settings or individual scenarios as an evidence based intervention. Using mindfulness techniques to combat stress and anxiety and to increase athletic performance works in the best interest of the patient, which is the job of an athletic trainer.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. Tom Bowman PHD, ATC

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Apr 17th, 12:00 PM Apr 17th, 1:15 PM

Efficiency in Achieving the State of Flow in Professional And Collegiate Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic

Turner Gymnasium

The effectiveness of mindfulness techniques and the achievement of “flow state” on sport performance in collegiate and elite athletes are assessed thoroughly across the current literature. Given the importance of increasing athletic performance and decreasing stress and anxiety surrounding participation, the study synthesizes 3 selected studies to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness techniques on these factors. The methods that have been utilized include a systematic search across PubMed, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, OneSearch, Google Scholar, and SAGE Journals. Non-peer reviewed articles, case studies, case series, editorials, and any non RCT, meta-analysis, or systematic review are excluded from the study. To be included, a study must be dated between 1999 and 2023 and have a primary focus on elite and collegiate athletes and their relationship between mindfulness training, effectively achieving a steady state of flow, and sport performance. Results from the 3 studies all indicate that the facilitation and utilization of mindfulness techniques showed a positive association between experiencing flow state, decreased stress and anxiety levels, and improved athletic performance. The experimental group in the RCT study showed a significant increase in athletic performance and significant reductions in both experiential avoidance and sports competition anxiety compared to the control group (F=0.672, F=0.473, F=0.724, p=0.0032). Mindfulness techniques can be utilized as a clinical tool in attempts to reduce anxiety and improve athletic performance These findings can be applied to team settings or individual scenarios as an evidence based intervention. Using mindfulness techniques to combat stress and anxiety and to increase athletic performance works in the best interest of the patient, which is the job of an athletic trainer.