Focused Attention Meditation as a Pre-Exercise Strategy for Reducing Anxiety in Speed Skaters

Area of Science:

• Sports Psychology
• Exercise Physiology
• Mindfulness Research

Background:

• Athletes frequently experience anxiety, especially before demanding training.
• Pre-exercise interventions are explored to manage athlete anxiety and optimize performance.
• High-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) elicits significant physiological and psychological stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the immediate impact of focused attention meditation on anxiety and performance in speed skaters.
• To compare focused attention meditation with controlled breathing and random thinking interventions.
• To assess effects on state anxiety, mood, and physiological responses during HIIT.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover study involving 26 university speed skaters.
• Participants underwent three pre-exercise conditions: focused attention meditation, controlled breathing, and random thinking.
• State anxiety, mood, heart rate variability, oxygen uptake, and power output were measured before and after interventions and HIIT.

Main Results:

• Focused attention meditation significantly decreased state anxiety compared to random thinking (p < 0.05).
• Controlled breathing notably improved heart rate variability (p = 0.041).
• No significant differences in power output or fatigue index were found across conditions.

Conclusions:

• Single-session focused attention meditation is a viable pre-exercise strategy for immediate anxiety reduction in athletes.
• This mindfulness technique does not compromise high-intensity exercise performance.
• Mindfulness interventions offer practical tools for managing psychological stress in sports.