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

Abstract

There is considerable research interest in psychological aspects of endurance performance. Until recently, research typically lacked a theoretical underpinning, and contemporary research is particularly informed by the psychobiological model of endurance performance. In this critical review, we propose that psychological theories relating to self-regulation, particularly self-efficacy theory and the process model of emotion regulation, could shed more light on how endurance performance is determined and lead to additional understanding of how psychological interventions can be used. We argue that people encounter fewer stressors in most experimental studies than are encountered before and during real-life events. In addition, we argue that most research conducted to date has focused on the forethought and performance phases of self-regulation, rather than the self-reflection phase, and research has not considered the cyclical nature of self-regulation. We also argue that if research participants are not endurance athletes, then their motivation may not be self-determined and self-regulatory learning may not take place. Recommendations are given for future research, and evidence-based guidance is offered on enhancing performance and improving the quality of experience for endurance athletes.

Endurance athletes’ current and preferred ways of getting psychological guidance

“…The third most cited area was dealing with nerves (n = 66), particularly before an event. These findings are consistent with research on the demands experienced by recreational endurance athletes across various events (McCormick, Meijen, & Marcora, 2016), and they are consistent with potential barriers to effective self-regulation in endurance athletes (McCormick, Meijen, Anstiss, & Jones, 2018). They also reflect areas that sport psychologists are capable of providing evidence-based guidance on (e.g., McCormick et al, 2015).…”

Eficacia de un programa de preparación psicológica en jugadores jóvenes de fútbol

“…El entrenamiento psicológico es muy importante para la mejora y/o mantenimiento del rendimiento deportivo, produciendo resultados muy positivos en variables como la motivación, concentración, cohesión de equipo, etc. con técnicas como la visualización, el establecimiento de objetivos, relajación a través de la respiración, entre otros (Aoyagi, Poczwardowski, Statler, Shapiro y Cohen, 2017;Brown y Fletcher, 2017;McCormick et al, 2017). El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la eficacia de un programa de intervención psicológica con jóvenes jugadores de fútbol.…”

Effects of Reflection to Improve Goal-Directed Self-Talk on Endurance Performance

“…By linking the self-talk to an experience where it was successful and strengthening this association through practice, its usage is proposed to be enhanced. However, such a strategy relies on knowledge of how long the person needs to endure the intense fatigue and be able to use self-talk to overcome these effects [ 6 ]. Evidence shows people find increased energy, demonstrated behaviourally, by increasing speed when the finish line is anticipated [ 28 ].…”

“…Psychological qualities such as improved confidence can be developed via skills training [ 3 ]. Skills found to be effective in improving endurance performance include cognitively based approaches such as the use of imagery, self-talk, and goal setting [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. In the present study, we focus specifically on self-talk, which can be defined as an act of syntactically recognizable communication [ 7 ], articulated either out loud or as a voice inside the head [ 8 ], addressed to the self, with interpretative elements associated to its content [ 9 ].…”