scholarly journals Masters Athletes’ Views on Sport Psychology for Performance Enhancement and Sport Lifestyle Adherence

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Tyler Makepeace ◽  
Bradley W. Young ◽  
Scott Rathwell
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Social Contracts ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Masters Athletes

This study explored the views of Canadian Masters athletes (MAs; Mage = 51, range 38–62; three men and five women) from 12 sports (10 individual and two team sports) on sport psychology for performance, experiential, and lifestyle enhancement. Using Braun and Clarke’s procedures for thematic analysis, the authors interpreted data from semistructured interviews deductively in relation to five strategic themes in which psychological skills are applied for performance enhancement. Deductive results demonstrated MAs used goal setting, imagery, arousal regulation, concentration, and self-confidence to enhance performance and obtain competitive advantages. The authors also analyzed data inductively to reveal themes related to experiential and lifestyle factors. Inductive results showed that MAs “placed priorities on sport,” which involved cognitively justifying the priority and framing sport as an outlet and as the embodiment of the authentic self. Social strategies associated with continued sport pursuit included cultivation of supportive social environments, social contracts/negotiations, social signaling, and social accountability. Strategies “to fit sport in” included integrating/twinning, scheduling, and managing commitment. Managing age-related concerns involved mindfulness and compensation strategies. Results show how MAs uniquely apply sport psychology to enhance their performance and to support sport adherence.

Systematically Reviewing the Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Enhanced Athletic Performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Sappington ◽  
Kathryn Longshore
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Sport Performance ◽  
The Body ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Quality Of Research

The field of applied sport psychology has traditionally grounded its performance enhancement techniques in the cognitive-behavioral elements of psychological skills training. These interventions typically advocate for controlling one’s cognitive and emotional processes during performance. Mindfulness-based approaches, on the other hand, have recently been introduced and employed more frequently in an effort to encourage athletes to adopt a nonjudgmental acceptance of all thoughts and emotions. Like many applied interventions in sport psychology, however, the body of literature supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based approaches for performance enhancement is limited, and few efforts have been made to draw evidence-based conclusions from the existing research. The current paper had the purpose of systematically reviewing research on mindfulness-based interventions with athletes to assess (a) the efficacy of these approaches in enhancing sport performance and (b) the methodological quality of research conducted thus far. A comprehensive search of relevant databases, including peer-reviewed and gray literature, yielded 19 total trials (six case studies, two qualitative studies, seven nonrandomized trials, and four randomized trials) in accordance with the inclusion criteria. An assessment tool was used to score studies on the quality of research methodology. While a review of this literature yielded preliminary support for the efficacy of mindfulness-based performance enhancement strategies, the body of research also shows a need for more methodologically rigorous trials.

An Integrated, Multifactorial Approach to Periodization for Optimal Performance in Individual and Team Sports

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 538-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iñigo Mujika ◽  
Shona Halson ◽  
Louise M. Burke ◽  
Gloria Balagué ◽  
Damian Farrow
Keyword(s):  
Exercise Training ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Recent Criticism ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Altitude Adaptation ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Multifactorial Approach

Sports periodization has traditionally focused on the exercise aspect of athletic preparation, while neglecting the integration of other elements that can impact an athlete’s readiness for peak competition performances. Integrated periodization allows the coordinated inclusion of multiple training components best suited for a given training phase into an athlete’s program. The aim of this article is to review the available evidence underpinning integrated periodization, focusing on exercise training, recovery, nutrition, psychological skills, and skill acquisition as key factors by which athletic preparation can be periodized. The periodization of heat and altitude adaptation, body composition, and physical therapy is also considered. Despite recent criticism, various methods of exercise training periodization can contribute to performance enhancement in a variety of elite individual and team sports, such as soccer. In the latter, both physical and strategic periodization are useful tools for managing the heavy travel schedule, fatigue, and injuries that occur throughout a competitive season. Recovery interventions should be periodized (ie, withheld or emphasized) to influence acute and chronic training adaptation and performance. Nutrient intake and timing in relation to exercise and as part of the periodization of an athlete’s training and competition calendar can also promote physiological adaptations and performance capacity. Psychological skills are a central component of athletic performance, and their periodization should cater to each athlete’s individual needs and the needs of the team. Skill acquisition can also be integrated into an athlete’s periodized training program to make a significant contribution to competition performance.

Performance Enhancement for Ballroom Dancers: Psychological Perspectives

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patsy Tremayne ◽  
Debra A. Ballinger
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Mental Preparation ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Ballroom Dance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Insight Into

Ballroom dance has resurfaced worldwide as a highly popular competitive sport and might be added to Olympic medal competition for the 2012 London Games. This resurgence presents opportunities for sport psychologists to provide psychological-skills and performance-enhancement training for ballroom dancers at all competitive levels. Few sport psychologists have the personal experience, expertise, or an adequate knowledge base about the competitive-ballroom-dance environment to provide meaningful intervention strategies for participants. This article was developed to provide initial guidance for sport psychology professionals interested in working in this environment. An overview of the competitive-dance and ballroom-dance environment, strategies used by dance couples for enhanced mental preparation before and during dance competitions, and excerpts from an interview with an Australian championship-level couple provide readers insight into performance-enhancement strategies for DanceSport.

Xs and Os and What the Coach Knows: Improving Team Strategy through Critical Thinking

1997 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
William B. Strean ◽  
Kim L. Senecal ◽  
Stephen G. Howlett ◽  
J. Mark Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Strategic Thinking ◽  
Data Support ◽  
Causal Assumptions ◽  
Thinking Processes ◽  
And Performance

Critical thinking can be defined most simply as thinking that assesses itself (Paul, 1995). We explored the degree to which coaches engage in critical thinking about strategy. We used Brookfield’s (1995) critical thinking model to examine coaches’ strategic thinking processes. The merit of the model as a tool to facilitate research and intervention in team sports was considered. We examined whether identifying and examining paradigmatic, prescriptive, and causal assumptions, as well as exploring alternatives for thinking and acting, can improve team strategy. The results provide examples of these various conceptual categories. The data support the use of Brookfield’s (1995) model for understanding and intervening with coaches and athletes. Examples of how sport psychology and performance enhancement consultants might use this model in their work are offered.

scholarly journals Theoretical and Empirical Developments of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment(MAC) Approach to Performance Enhancement

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zella E. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Mac Protocol ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Intervention Efficacy ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

As long as athletes strive to attain optimal performance states and consistently reach high performance goals, psychological interventions will be used to assist in the development of skill and the maintenance of performance. In the pursuit of these goals, newer evidence-driven models based on mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches have been designed to achieve these ends. Based upon questionable efficacy data for traditional psychological skills training procedures that emphasize reduction or control of internal processes, mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches develop skills of nonjudging mindful awareness, mindful attention, and experiential acceptance to aid in the pursuit of valued goals. The most formalized and researched mindfulness- and acceptance-based approach within sport psychology is the manualized Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) protocol. In the 8 years since the MAC was first developed and presented, and the 5 years since the first publication on the protocol, the MAC program has accumulated a continually growing empirical base for both its underlying theory and intervention efficacy as a performance enhancement intervention. This article reviews the empirical and theoretical foundations of the mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches in general, and MAC in particular; reviews the accumulated empirical findings in support of the MAC approach for performance enhancement; and presents recent MAC developments and suggested future directions.

What Can the Sport Psychology Consultant Learn from the Educational Consultant?

1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-153
Author(s):  
Bob LaRose
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Process Performance ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Require Time ◽  
Physical Skills ◽  
Personal Fulfillment

The growth of sport psychology has brought many positive advances and claims for achievement, but it has also brought controversy. Debate has beset the profession concerning classification (psychologist or consultant?), role (clinician or educator?), clientele (coach, athlete, or administrator?), ethics (whose purpose is to be served and who is being threatened?), and process (performance enhancement, winning, or personal fulfillment?). In this paper, the educational consultant in higher education is offered as a role model to help reduce the confusion and refocus attention on a more widely applicable role. Most sport psychologists today deal directly with athletes, usually elite athletes. However, as with physical skills, psychological skills require time and effort to fully develop. In order to address this time factor, this paper takes the stance that there is a growing need to train experts in the field to focus their efforts on the coach rather than the athlete. The consulting role, focus, and process suggested here could be of value to interested personnel at all levels of sport, and could provide a means for all participants to realize their fullest potential.

Aging of Competitive Athletes

Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 488-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirofumi Tanaka
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Masters Athletes ◽  
Competitive Athletes ◽  
Vascular Stiffening ◽  
High Motivation ◽  
Clinical Conditions

Demographics of human aging are rapidly changing. As illustrated in the biomedicalization of aging, an ever increasing number of older adults is affected by a variety of clinical conditions and diseases, including vascular stiffening, sarcopenia, physical disability, and poor quality of life. One population that is situated in the opposite end of the health and functional spectrum to the sedentary frail elderly is Masters athletes. These older competitive athletes are endowed with substantial functional capacity, overall long-term health, high motivation, and psychosocial outlook. Masters athletes are combating the dogma and negative stereotypes of older adults and aging. From the scientific standpoint, examining Masters athletes can provide insight into preventive gerontology, primary prevention of age-related diseases and dysfunctions, and exercise-based medical practices. Moreover, the study on Masters athletes is simply joyous and entertaining as they often remind us what can be possible in aging.

scholarly journals Nutrition for Older Athletes: Focus on Sex-Differences

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1409
Author(s):  
Barbara Strasser ◽  
Dominik Pesta ◽  
Jörn Rittweger ◽  
Johannes Burtscher ◽  
Martin Burtscher
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Exercise Training ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Endurance Performance ◽  
Metabolic Efficiency ◽  
Older Athletes ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Masters Athletes ◽  
Physical Capacities

Regular physical exercise and a healthy diet are major determinants of a healthy lifespan. Although aging is associated with declining endurance performance and muscle function, these components can favorably be modified by regular physical activity and especially by exercise training at all ages in both sexes. In addition, age-related changes in body composition and metabolism, which affect even highly trained masters athletes, can in part be compensated for by higher exercise metabolic efficiency in active individuals. Accordingly, masters athletes are often considered as a role model for healthy aging and their physical capacities are an impressive example of what is possible in aging individuals. In the present review, we first discuss physiological changes, performance and trainability of older athletes with a focus on sex differences. Second, we describe the most important hormonal alterations occurring during aging pertaining regulation of appetite, glucose homeostasis and energy expenditure and the modulatory role of exercise training. The third part highlights nutritional aspects that may support health and physical performance for older athletes. Key nutrition-related concerns include the need for adequate energy and protein intake for preventing low bone and muscle mass and a higher demand for specific nutrients (e.g., vitamin D and probiotics) that may reduce the infection burden in masters athletes. Fourth, we present important research findings on the association between exercise, nutrition and the microbiota, which represents a rapidly developing field in sports nutrition.

‘Attitudes Towards Sport Psychology Consulting in Athletes From Individual and Team Sports’

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daire Rooney ◽  
Neil Heron ◽  
Robin Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
Sport Type ◽  
Or Team ◽  
Individual Sports ◽  
Willingness To Consult ◽  
Univariate Analyses

Abstract Background: The purpose of the present study was to investigate how an athlete’s participation in either an individual or team sport is related to their attitude toward sport psychology consulting and their willingness to consult a sport psychology practitioner. Method: The Sport Psychology Attitudes-Revised form (SPA-R) was completed by one hundred and twenty athletes from individual and team sports. A 2 (Type of sport: individual and team) x 2 (Gender) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted with attitudes towards sport psychology as dependent variables. In order to identify attitudes that accentuated the differences related to type of sport, follow-up univariate analyses were performed. Results: Results revealed that athletes involved in individual sports reported overall more positive attitudes towards sport psychology consulting than athletes involved in team sports. In particular, the athletes involved in individual sports were more likely to have greater confidence in sport psychology consulting. The findings also show that gender may mediate this association, indicated by a nearly significant two-way interaction effect for gender and type of sport (individual versus team) regarding confidence in sport psychology. The source of this marginal result was a larger effect of sport type for females than for males. Conclusions: The findings of this study imply that athletes involved in individual sports are more likely to have positive attitudes towards sport psychology compared to athletes competing in team-based sports. The results may go some way to assist sport psychologists to understand and address athletes’ concerns and to improve receptivity to sport psychology services.

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