Effects of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) on Running Performance and Body Image: Does Self-Compassion Make a Difference?

There has been growing interest in the use of mindfulness with athletes over the past decade, and one intervention that has been gaining empirical support is Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE). Uncontrolled investigations of MSPE have shown promising results in several athlete populations, and the purpose of the present study was to conduct a controlled investigation of an enhanced, 6-week version of MSPE for long-distance runners. It was predicted that increases in mindful awareness and acceptance would be related to performance improvements, as well as changes in performance-related variables like flow, anxiety, and sport confidence. An additional aim of this study was to examine the impact on body image and disordered eating of including an emphasis on self-compassion in MSPE (MSPE-SC). Participants were 55 athletes from two Division I collegiate cross-country teams, who completed self-report measures at three times points (pre-workshop, post-workshop, and a 6-month follow-up), as well as pre- and post-workshop standardized time trials. One team (n = 24) served as a no-treatment control group, while athletes from the second team were randomly assigned to receive either MSPE (n = 16) or MSPE-SC (n = 15). Contrary to hypotheses, runners who received MSPE and MSPE-SC showed no changes in state or trait mindfulness, self-compassion, performance, most performance-related variables, or body image. The lack of change in mindfulness and self-compassion suggests that the changes that were observed in dissociative thoughts during running and disordered eating were not the result of the workshop. Also contrary to prediction, the few significant group differences at post-test and follow-up favored the no-treatment control group (e.g., lower concentration disruption and higher flow compared to MSPE-SC). While these results might seem to indicate that MSPE may not be an effective intervention for athletes, consideration of the obstacles faced in the present study, the unique difficulties associated with working with an intact sports team, and the athletes' post-workshop feedback suggest that confounding variables may have affected the results of this investigation. Thus with appropriate adaptations, MSPE may remain a viable option for future research exploring the use of sport-specific mindfulness interventions with athletic teams.Degree awarded: Ph.D. Psychology. The Catholic University of Americ