Mindfulness
Conditions
Keywords
Mindfulness, Fatigue, Taekwondo, Heart rate variability
Brief summary
This randomized, counterbalanced crossover study investigated whether a mindfulness induction could improve kicking performance and facilitate psychophysiological recovery following fatigue manipulation in taekwondo athletes. After completing a cognitively demanding task and a simulated taekwondo match, participants underwent either a 15-min mindfulness induction or a control condition before performing taekwondo-specific kicking tests. Kicking performance and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed as the primary outcomes, while perceived exertion, blood lactate, mental fatigue, and state mindfulness were evaluated as secondary outcomes. The findings will provide insight into the potential of mindfulness induction as a practical between-match recovery strategy for enhancing both physiological and psychological recovery in taekwondo athletes.
Interventions
OTHERMindfulness induction
Participants in the mindfulness condition underwent a 15-min mindfulness induction comprising mindful breathing and body scan exercises. Participants were instructed to sit comfortably in a chair, close their eyes, and listen to a prerecorded mindfulness audio recording through headphones. They were asked to follow the instructions attentively throughout the induction, focusing on their breathing and bodily sensations with an attitude of nonjudgment.
Sponsors
National Taiwan Normal University
University of Taipei
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Be at least 18 years of age. 2. Have at least 4 years of taekwondo training experience. 3. Have normal or corrected-to-normal vision. 4. Be a Chinese speaker. 5. Not be engaged in any weight-loss program. 6. Be free from injury at the time of participation. 7. Provide written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
1. Have regularly practiced mindfulness meditation within the past year. 2. Be currently participating in another clinical trial. 3. Be at high risk for performing physical performance tasks (i.e., a score greater than 0 on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire \[PAR-Q\]).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kicking performance | From enrollment to the end of second intervention at 1 week. During Frequency Speed of Kick Test, up to 10 minutes | The Frequency Speed of Kick Test (FSKT) was used to assess kicking performance at baseline and post-intervention. Two versions were administered: the 10-s Frequency Speed of Kick Test (FSKT10) and the multiple Frequency Speed of Kick Test (FSKTmult) |
| Heart rate variability | From enrollment to the end of the second session (approximately 1 week). HRV was assessed for 5 min at baseline, post-fatigue manipulation, and post-intervention. | Heart rate variability was assessed using a portable heart rate monitor (Polar H10) at baseline, post-fatigue manipulation, and post-intervention. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mental fatigue | From enrollment to completion of the second experimental session (approximately 1 week), with assessments conducted at baseline, immediately after fatigue manipulation, and immediately after the 15-min intervention. | The 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) will be utilized to assess the change in perceived mental fatigue (VAS-MF) at baseline, post-fatigue manipulation, and post-intervention. VAS-MF is scaled from 0 (not at all mentally fatigued) to 100 (extremely mentally fatigued), and participant will be asked to mark their perception of mental fatigue on the 100-mm line (i.e., 0 = "not at all mentally fatigued" to "100 = extremely mentally fatigued"). |
| Blood lactate | From enrollment to completion of the second experimental session (approximately 1 week), with assessments conducted at baseline, immediately after fatigue manipulation, and immediately after the 15-min intervention. | Blood lactate (LA) was measured by an edge blood lactate monitoring system (ApexBio Inc., Taipei City, Taiwan). |
| State mindfulness | From enrollment to completion of the second experimental session (approximately 1 week), with assessments conducted at baseline and immediately after the 15-min intervention. | State mindfulness was assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention using the Athlete Mindfulness Questionnaire (AMQ). The AMQ consists of 16 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale, yielding a total score ranging from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater state mindfulness. |
| Rating of perceived exertion | From enrollment to the end of the second session (approximately 1 week). Measured immediately after the FSKT and during the simulated taekwondo match. | Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was evaluated using the Borg's CR10 scale (Borg, 1998) to ascertain the extent of participant's perceived exertion immediately after FSKT10 and FSKTmult and each round of simulated match. |
Countries
Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed