Effect of mental toughness on sporting performance: review of studies

Abstract

The aim of the present review was to establish the correlation between mental toughness and sporting performance based on the results of studies published in scientific journals between 2000 and 2020. The keywords mental toughness and performance/ outcomes/ results/ competition were used to identify the papers. The search included the EBSCO and PubMed databases. Eventually, the analysis covered 18 articles. The research results presented in 16 papers confirmed the positive correlations of mental toughness with sport results and performance level. No such relationship was found only in equestrian and Alpine skiing athletes. Although mental toughness in basketball players did not correlate with the sport results, it was an important predictor. Higher mental toughness was found in athletes with better sports results, and it was a positive correlate or predictor of sports results. The relationships between mental toughness and competitive experience or age were not statistically significant. Various research tools were used to measure mental toughness: PPI, PPI-A, SMTQ, MTQ48, MTI, SMTI, MeBTough. The results confirm the positive correlation between mental toughness and sport results or performance levels in different sports, regardless of gender, age or level of sports skills. It seems appropriate to continue research on mental toughness in sport, including the relationship between mental toughness and sporting performance, differences between men and women, players in individual and team sports, the relationship between mental toughness and training experience, the athletes’ age, and the effectiveness of mental toughness programs.

Mental Toughness and Resilience in Trail Runner’s Performance

“…The decisive role of resilience in facing severe adversities that can occur outside of the sport context ( Cowden et al, 2016 ) seems to give resilience a mediation role for “the enactment and maintenance of goal-directed pursuits” as Zeiger and Zeiger (2018) suggested. Notwithstanding limited knowledge of the conceptual association between MT and athletic performance, due to scarce other empirical results to date, our results are in line with reviews by Cowden et al, (2017) and Guszkowska and Wojcik (2021) who reported a positive correlation between MT and sporting performance across different sports, regardless of the participants’ age, gender, or skill levels. This result emphasizes that MT is a multifaceted construct that is a central prerequisite to excellent sport performance ( Cowden et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Specifically, in trail running, it is necessary to make a permanent adjustment to different conditions (e.g., elevation and climate make it imperative that the athlete control various pace, nutrition, posture, loneliness, and fatigue). However, these athletes present a more effective way of contending with unpleasant situations and perform more effectively, acting with self-awareness of their own effort and fatigue ( Guszkowska & Wojcik, 2021 ). This fact makes trail running different from others sports or even from other kinds of running races, adding importance to the use of permanent psychological control adaptations to reach sports goals, highlighting the general importance of mental characteristics and the primordial role of psychological preparation (MT and resilience training) in sports ( Guszkowska & Wojcik, 2021 ).…”

“…However, these athletes present a more effective way of contending with unpleasant situations and perform more effectively, acting with self-awareness of their own effort and fatigue ( Guszkowska & Wojcik, 2021 ). This fact makes trail running different from others sports or even from other kinds of running races, adding importance to the use of permanent psychological control adaptations to reach sports goals, highlighting the general importance of mental characteristics and the primordial role of psychological preparation (MT and resilience training) in sports ( Guszkowska & Wojcik, 2021 ). Performance in these races is multifactorial, with many factors involved ( Diotaiuti et al, 2021 ), and our results show the importance of just these two constructs, while other psychological social, and physiological factors may explain remaining variance in athletic performance.…”

“…In this way, owing to the limitations of physical training, the possibilities and seeming limitlessness of psychological training has become a newer crucial focus ( Zeiger & Zeiger, 2018 ). Given the promising results of MT ( Méndez-Alonso et al, 2021 ; Guszkowska & Wojcik, 2021 ) and resilience ( Diotaiuti et al, 2021 ; Galli & Gonzalez, 2015 ) constructs in endurance performance sports, endurance runners have begun to try to raise their levels of tenacity, determination, and tolerance of negative affect (e.g., resilience traits) ( Diotaiuti et al, 2021 ). Nonetheless, quantitative studies analyzing these constructs through validated measurement instruments in endurance sports like trail running are still scarce.…”

Development of Mental Toughness among Basketball Sports School Students

“…It is important that mental toughness training can strengthen athletes' positive attitudes towards sports [14]. Indeed, researchers [9,15] increasingly suggest that mental toughness training should become the subject of positive youth development paradigm studies, conducting research on mental toughness training not only with adults or student athletes who are most commonly studied [15,16] but also with adolescent athletes. Therefore, this underscores the idea of cultivating mental toughness skills that are not only important in sports but also contribute to positive adolescent behavior.…”