The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Strategy Training on Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Endurance Runners: A Three-Month Follow-up

Abstract

Background: Exposure of the athlete to stressful situations in addition to physiological effects will cause the person to feel excited in response to those situations and these changes may have dangerous consequences. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the mindfulness-based intervention on cognitive-emotional regulation strategies and salivary cortisol levels in endurance runners with a three-month follow-up. Methods: The research method was experimental with a pretest-posttest follow up design with a control group. The study population consisted of all beginner endurance runners with age range 16-18 who were voluntarily invited to participate in this research. Twenty-four male beginner runners (mean aged 17.08 ± 0.64 years and athletic background 7.7 ± 1.6 month) were divided into two groups of Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) and control. The intervention protocol of the experimental group consisted of six sessions of mindfulness training and daily homework assignments that were performed under the researcher's supervision and with the help of a qualified clinical psychologist. Salivary Cortisol Kit (SCK) with sensitivity 0.05 μg/dl was used to measure stress and the Gross and John Emotion Regulation Questionnaire was used to assess cognitive-emotional regulation strategies. Results: The results showed a significant difference in cortisol levels, suppression, and reappraisal, between the MBI and control groups in posttest and follow-up steps. The findings showed that salivary cortisol concentration in the MBI group was reduced from pretest (1.09 ± 0.16) to posttest (0.76 ± 0.15) and follow-up (0.72 ± 0.07). Also, the suppression component in the MBI group was reduced from pretest (21.40 ± 1.64) to posttest (15.10 ± 1) and follow-up (16 ± 1.15) and increased the reappraisal component from pretest (22.40 ± 1.17) to posttest (29.10 ± 2.37) and follow up (27.70 ± 2.21) (P value = 0.0001). Conclusions: The findings showed that MBI reduced salivary cortisol concentration and suppression component, while increased the reappraisal component of emotion regulation. The findings suggest that MBI can be used as a new promising method on cognitive emotion regulation strategies and salivary cortisol levels in endurance runners.

Efeito da meditação mindfulness no esporte de alto rendimento: uma revisão de escopo

“…Os autores descobriram que o fluxo subjetivo e o consumo de oxigênio foram otimizados em ritmo de corrida de intensidade moderada na esteira, seguindo o programa de mindfulness que por sua vez levou a um melhor desempenho. Os resultados de outro estudo também em corredores de resistência, sugeriu que o Mindfulness Based-Intervention pode ser usado como um novo método promissor na cognição, estratégias de regulação emocional e níveis de cortisol salivar (Samadi et al, 2020). Chen et al (2018), com um time de jogadores amadores de beisebol outro estudo, avaliaram durante 4 semanas de Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement na saúde mental, estado de fluxo e ansiedade no estado competitivo, a coleta de informações por meio de questionários autorrelatados foram administradas antes, durante e após as 4 semanas.…”