Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Benefits Psychological Well-Being, Sleep Quality, and Athletic Performance in Female Collegiate Rowers

Bethany J Jones, Sukhmanjit Kaur, Michele Miller, Rebecca M C Spencer, Bethany J Jones, Sukhmanjit Kaur, Michele Miller, Rebecca M C Spencer

Abstract

Factors such as psychological well-being, sleep quality, and athletic coping skills can influence athletic performance. Mindfulness-based interventions, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), have been shown to benefit these factors, suggesting they may, at least indirectly, benefit athletic performance. Moreover, while mindfulness training has been linked to better accuracy in some high-precision sports, whether it can improve non-precision elements of athletic performance is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of MBSR on psychological well-being, sleep, athletic coping skills, and rowing performance in collegiate rowers in a controlled experimental design. Members of a Division I NCAA Women's Rowing team completed either an 8-week MBSR course along with their regular athletic training program (Intervention group) or the athletic training program alone (Control group). Measurements of interest were taken at baseline and again either during or shortly following the intervention. In contrast to the Control group, the Intervention group showed improvements in psychological well-being, subjective and objective sleep quality, athletic coping skills, and rowing performance as measured by a 6,000-m ergometer test. Improvements in athletic coping skills, psychological well-being, and subjective sleep quality were all correlated with increases in mindfulness in the Intervention group. These results suggest that mindfulness training may benefit non-precision aspects of athletic performance. Incorporating mindfulness training into athletic training programs may benefit quality of life and performance in student athletes.

Keywords: actigraphy; collegiate athletics; coping skills; endurance; mindfulness training; rowing.

Copyright © 2020 Jones, Kaur, Miller and Spencer.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Experimental timeline and procedure. Participants either completed an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course along with their regular athletic training program (Intervention group) or the athletic training program alone (Control group). Questionnaires, actigraphy, and an ergometer test were administered once at baseline and once again either during or shortly following the intervention.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Average Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) scores in the MBSR and Control groups at the pre-test and post-test time points. Higher scores reflect greater mindfulness. Error bars represent standard errors of means.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Psychological well-being. (A) Average psychological well-being scores in the MBSR and Control groups at the pre-test and post-test time points. Lower scores reflect greater well-being. Error bars represent standard errors of means. (B) Relationship between change in FFMQ score and change in psychological well-being score in the MBSR group.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Sleep. (A,B) Average Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores in MBSR and Control groups at the pre-test and post-test time points. Lower scores reflect better sleep quality and lower daytime sleepiness, respectively. (C,D) Relationships between change in FFMQ score and changes in PSQI and ESS scores. (E,F) Average percent sleep efficiency (SE) and minutes of wake after sleep onset (WASO) in MBSR and Control groups at the pre-test and post-test time points, as measured by actigraphy. Error bars represent standard errors of means.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Athletic coping skills and rowing performance. (A) Average Athletic Coping Skills Inventory 28 (ACSI-28) scores in MBSR and Control groups at the pre-test and post-test time points. Higher scores reflect better coping skills. (B) Relationship between change in FFMQ score and change in ACSI-28 score. (C) Average time taken to complete the 6 K ergometer test in the MBSR and Control groups at the pre-test and post-test time points. Error bars represent standard errors of means.

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