The effects of mindfulness training on competition-induced anxiety and salivary stress markers in elite Wushu athletes: A pilot study

Objective: Due to the impact of stress and related psychophysiological responses on competitive performance, psychological interventions that reduce stress and may thus increase athletic performance need to be evaluated. In this pilot study, the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on competitive anxiety, self-confidence and mindfulness, and autonomic and endocrine stress responses to a competition in elite athletes were explored. Methods: Twenty-six male elite Wushu athletes (N = 26) were randomly assigned to either MBI (8 weeks) or a wait-list control group. Both groups participated in three competitions at baseline, immediately post intervention, and at a 2-month follow-up. Athletes completed the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 prior to the competitions. Saliva, from which the stress markers cortisol (sCort) and alpha-amylase (sAA) were determined, was collected prior to and after competitions as well as after awakening and in the evening of competition days. Results: Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that the MBI group, but not the wait-list control group, demonstrated an increase in self-confidence and mindfulness and a decrease in competitive anxiety from baseline to post intervention (all p < .001, all eta(2)(p) > 0.39). The MBI group exhibited lower sCort daily levels (p = .001, eta(2)(p) = 0.332) and lower sCort (p = .013, eta(2)(p) = 0.121) and sAA responses (p = .022, eta(2)(p) = 0.119) to the competition after the intervention. Daily sAA was unaffected by the intervention (p = .742, eta(2)(p) = 0.011). These changes remained stable up to the 2-month follow-up. Conclusions: The present pilot study suggested that mindfulness-based intervention might be associated with a diminished physiological and psychological stress responses to competition. Whether this in turn translates to change in performance needs to be examined in future studies with larger samples. Moreover, different sport activities need to be considered before findings can be generalized.