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Mental toughness and athletic performance: a narrative review
Raja Soundara Pandian Pachaiappan1,2, Veera Balajikumar Veeraswamy2, Kannan Mahalingam2
1Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India.
Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology
|September 24, 2025
Summary
Mental toughness, a key psychological trait, positively impacts athletic performance. This trait is especially vital in individual sports and can be enhanced through targeted psychological interventions.
Area of Science:
- Sports Psychology
- Performance Psychology
- Psychological Skills Training
Background:
- Mental toughness is a critical psychological construct in competitive sports.
- Understanding its role is essential for optimizing athletic achievement across diverse sporting disciplines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a narrative review examining the relationship between mental toughness and athletic performance.
- To synthesize empirical evidence from 2000-2024 across various sports domains.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of empirical studies.
- Searches conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science (2000-2024).
- Inclusion criteria focused on studies linking mental toughness to performance outcomes in competitive athletes.
Main Results:
- Consistent positive correlations found between mental toughness and athletic performance (r=0.21-0.63).
- Mental toughness showed stronger associations with performance in individual sports versus team sports.
- Psychological interventions targeting mental toughness components show potential for athletic enhancement.
Conclusions:
- Mental toughness is a significant psychological factor influencing athletic achievement.
- It impacts performance via resilience, emotional regulation, and focus maintenance.
- Findings offer practical applications for coaches and sport psychologists.
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