Mindfulness training modulates EEG oscillations and improves shooting accuracy in competitive stress

Rifle shooting requires low arousal and precise motor control. Mindfulness training is theorized to support these demands, but systematic evidence of its neurocognitive and performance benefits under authentic competitive stress in elite shooters is scarce. This study aimed to examine whether a 7-week Mindfulness-Acceptance-Insight-Commitment (MAIC) program enhances attentional neural efficiency and shooting performance in elite 10m air rifle athletes under standardized competitive stress.

Fourteen elite shooters were randomly allocated to a mindfulness group (n = 7) or a control group (n = 7). The mindfulness group completed two MAIC sessions alongside routine training per week for 7 weeks. All participants underwent testing at baseline (A1), post-intervention (A2), and 2-week follow-up (A3) in an ISSF-compliant range under a validated stress-induction protocol. Measures included shooting scores (SIUS LS10), state anxiety (CSAI-2), dispositional mindfulness (FFMQ), and 64-channel EEG spectral power (δ, θ, α, β, γ bands). Behavioral data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Spearman correlation. EEG data were analyzed using Aligned Rank Transform ANOVA to accommodate non-normal data distributions in factorial designs.

Stress induction successfully elevated anxiety in both groups (p < 0.001). The mindfulness group exhibited a significantly greater increase in mindfulness scores compared to the control group. For EEG measures, a significant group × time interaction was observed for α-band power, F _{(2, 24)} = 5.62, p = 0.028, indicating enhanced top-down attentional control in the mindfulness group. For δ-band power, a significant main effect of time was found, F _{(2, 24)} = 5.35, p = 0.012, with both groups showing reductions over time, reflecting a shared pattern of task habituation and optimized neural efficiency. For shooting performance, despite lacking a significant interaction, the mindfulness group showed a descriptive, non-significant within-group improvement across time points, and scored significantly higher than the control group at post-test.

A 7-week MAIC intervention may be associated with improvements in attentional regulation, specific changes in EEG oscillatory activity (increased α), and a descriptive within-group enhancement in shooting performance under competitive stress in elite rifle athletes. The programme offers an evidence-based, sustainable psychological training model for precision sports.