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Mental Toughness and 2K Rowing Performance in Division II Female Collegiate Athletes: A Longitudinal Analysis Using
Zacharias Papadakis1, Andreas Stamatis2,3
1Department of Health Sciences & Clinical Practice, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL 33161, USA.
Sports (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Mental toughness (MT) did not significantly correlate with rowing performance changes within female athletes over a season. Stable individual differences, not MT, largely explained performance variations in this pilot study.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Psychology
- Rowing Performance
Background:
- Mental toughness (MT) is theorized to influence athletic performance.
- Longitudinal research on MT's impact on within-athlete performance variation in rowing is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal association between MT and 2K ergometer performance in female collegiate rowers.
- To differentiate between within-athlete and between-athlete effects of MT on performance.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study involving 12 NCAA Division II female rowers.
- The Mental Toughness Index (MTI) was administered before four 2K time trials during a competitive season.
- Linear mixed-effects modeling with cluster-robust standard errors was used to analyze performance data.
Main Results:
- Rowing performance significantly improved mid-season compared to baseline.
- The within-athlete association between MTI and 2K performance was small, imprecise, and not statistically significant.
- Between-athlete differences in performance were substantial and stable, dominating over within-athlete variability.
Conclusions:
- This pilot study found no significant within-athlete association between mental toughness and rowing performance changes over a season.
- The findings suggest that stable individual differences, rather than fluctuations in mental toughness, are more influential on performance.
- Larger sample sizes and inclusion of covariates like training load and injury status are recommended for future research.
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