Effects of a Motivational Self-Talk Intervention for Endurance Athletes Completing an Ultramarathon

Abstract

This study examined the effects of strategic, motivational self-talk for runners completing a 60-mile, overnight ultramarathon using a randomised, controlled experiment. Data were collected before, during, and after an annual ultramarathon. Twenty-nine ultramarathon runners were randomly allocated to a motivational self-talk group or an alternative control group. A condition-by-time mixed ANOVA indicated that learning to use motivational selftalk did not affect pre-event self-efficacy or perceived control. A t-test and magnitude-based inference indicated that motivational self-talk did not affect performance. Nevertheless, followup data suggested that most participants found the intervention helpful and continued to use it six months after their research commitment, particularly in endurance events and to a lesser extent in training. Participants continued to use self-talk to cope with exertion, as well as other stressors such as blister discomfort and adverse conditions. Suggestions are offered for future research examining the effects of psychological interventions on performance in endurance events. "Effects of a Motivational Self-Talk Intervention for Endurance Athletes Completing an Ultramarathon" by McCormick A, Meijen C, Marcora S The Sport Psychologist © 2017 Human Kinetics, Inc.Psychological skills training (PST) can enhance endurance performance. Although selftalk, imagery, goal setting, and packages including multiple PST strategies consistently enhance endurance performance in non-competitive laboratory and field-based endurance tasks, few studies have examined the effects of psychological interventions such as PST on performance in actual endurance events, and these studies showed equivocal intervention

Self-regulation in endurance sports: theory, research, and practice

“…Performance aside, some emotions experienced before, during, and after endurance events are more pleasant than others, and the field of emotion regulation considers how pleasant emotions can be encouraged (Quoidbach, Mikolajczak, & Gross, 2015). For example, participating in endurance events can be a source of excitement and happiness or of anger and guilt (Lahart et al, 2013;McCormick et al, 2016McCormick et al, , 2018, impacting the quality of the event experience.…”

“…Although laboratory research provides experimental control, it is rare that an endurance performer will train and compete in a controlled environment. This is relevant because external stressors such as other competitors, weather, or a missed water stop, and associated emotional responses (e.g., dejection), play a role in endurance performance, and drop-out from events is common (Antonini Philippe, Rochat, Vauthier, & Hauw, 2016;McCormick et al, 2018). Although it can be useful to isolate factors that may impact endurance performance, we do not understand well enough how performance in the laboratory translates to the real-world when different psychological stressors are experienced, especially when combined with physiological strain.…”

“…We therefore encourage researchers to examine the effects of psychological interventions at real-life endurance events (see also Meredith, Dicks, Noel, & Wagstaff, 2017). To date, few studies have done this (Lindsay, Maynard, & Thomas, 2005;Sheard & Golby, 2006), especially using a randomised, controlled experimental design (McCormick et al, 2018).…”

“…Nevertheless, conducting research at real-life events poses challenges relating to attaining an adequate sample size and providing an intervention to the control group to prevent them pursuing the experimental intervention, which they may perceive as being potentially beneficial to them (McCormick et al, 2018). Suggestions are therefore offered for controlled laboratory and field research.…”

“…Taking part in endurance events can be a source of positive emotions such as excitement and happiness before, during, and after completing the event (McCormick et al, 2018). People can use strategies from each of the five emotion-regulation families before life events, during life events, and after life events to increase their experience of positive emotions, both in the moment and longer term (Quoidbach et al, 2015).…”