Effects of psychological interventions on high sports performance: A systematic review

Abstract

IntroductionIntervention programs in sports psychology aid to modify the thoughts and behaviors of athletes in order to improve their performance in sports settings. For high-performance athletes, these interventions are very relevant, given that they constantly face pressure towards obtaining sporting achievements.MethodsThis systematic review aims to analyze the scientific articles between 2010 and 2020 that evaluated the effect of psychological interventions on high-performance athletes. In the search procedure, nine studies were selected, the most studied variables were psychological skills, psychological flexibility, and stress.ResultsThe 44% of the interventions were designed by the research authors themselves, while the remaining 56% were replicated programs, which already had scientific evidence.DiscussionPsychological interventions have a positive impact on sports performance. This review allows sports institutions and professionals to have more knowledge and resources at their disposal to implement these types of programs in their sports planning.

Sporting Mind: The Interplay of Physical Activity and Psychological Health

“…Psychological components can be crucial during training and competition, regardless of the sport [ 233 ]. Therefore, psychological interventions are beneficial in enhancing both psychological well-being and athletic performance [ 234 ]. These effects are achieved through improvements in cognitive skills, such as motivation, mental concentration, and self-confidence [ 235 , 236 ].…”

“…However, they can aid in achieving a performance level as close as possible to their maximum potential, in conjunction with physical, tactical, and technical training [ 245 ]. The implementation of CBT has shown remarkable results in enhancing the mental skills of many athletes and sports teams [ 234 ], as well as in emotional control [ 243 , 244 , 245 ].…”

Supporting transplant athletes: perspectives on delivery of a sports performance and well-being service at the British Transplant Games

“…Although models of delivery and evaluation of applied sport psychology exist ( 22 , 23 ) and evaluation of the impact of applied sports psychology on performance exist ( 24 ) the realities of being a TxA and the ethos of BTG make a systemic approach to both difficult. TxA are typically not supported by coaches or other sports performance personnel.…”

Acute effects of multi-ingredient pre-workout dietary supplement on anaerobic performance in untrained men: a randomized, crossover, single blind study

“…In modern competitive and recreational sport, in addition to the physical training performed, it is necessary to take into account and apply in training many other factors aimed at further improving physical performance. These include proper psychological support [ 1 ] or proper nutrition of the athlete [ 2 ]. In recent years, there has been a growing interest among physically active people in dietary supplements [ 3 – 5 ], and their sales have steadily increased [ 6 ].…”