The impact of body image on youth athletes’ performance

Research conducted with nearly 1,400 youth athletes found that when they focus on how their bodies appear, known as “body surveillance,” their performance suffers. This can mean slower reaction times and less precise movements when competing. The research urges coaches and sport leaders to reduce appearance-based pressures and shift focus toward athletes’ confidence and functional…

Monitoring Athletes’ Mental Fatigue

Athletes are susceptible to mental fatigue, which can negatively impact both their physical performance and technical skills. Researchers found that mental fatigue in athletes varied significantly during the pre-season and decreased as competition neared. Which means, monitoring athletes’ mental fatigue could help practitioners better tailor recovery strategies — especially during the pre-season.

Training time and motivation

Does training time affect performance? This study found that while training at a preferred time didn’t significantly boost performance, it did enhance motivation and make workouts feel easier.

Optimism, mindfulness, and enhanced performance

Traits like optimism, pessimism, and mindfulness impact athletes’ performance and well-being. While no age, gender, sport type, or education differences were found in these traits in a recently published study, optimism was linked to higher levels of mindfulness.

Goal setting and sport performance

Process goals, centered on specific actions and strategies such as improving technique or maintaining mental focus, have shown to boost sports performance and self-efficacy more effectively than performance and outcome-based goals.

Understanding and Coping Among Adolescent Athletes

The impact of mental toughness on sport performance

Does mental toughness make a difference in sport performance? This review dove into research and found that athletes with higher mental toughness consistently perform better, especially in combat and individual sports.

Pressure training in sport

Athletes often face psychological pressure from competition, which can impact their performance. Pressure training, which introduces competition stress during practice, has been shown to be an effective method for helping athletes develop coping skills and better manage stress in sports.

Perfectionistic traits and distance running

In competitive sports, understanding how to achieve peak performance is crucial. This study found that athletes with perfectionistic traits performed better in a 10K run and a half-marathon, indicating that a drive for perfection can enhance results in distance running.

Self-esteem in sport

Self-esteem plays a crucial role in both daily life and sports. This study finds that athletes in individual sports generally exhibit higher levels of self-esteem compared to those in team sports.