A Systematic Review of Cognitive Sports Psychology Interventions on High School, College, and Professional Athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v13i4.8127Keywords:
Resistance Training, Sports Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, BATL, Athletes, Systematic ReviewAbstract
In competitive sports, achieving peak performance extends beyond physical training and encompasses cognitive and emotional factors. This review evaluates the effectiveness of mental, physical, and emotional interventions in enhancing athletic performance. Aiming to understand their benefits and limitations comprehensively the primary objectives were to assess the impact of these interventions on mental resilience, physical metrics, and emotional well-being to offer actionable recommendations for practice and future research. The search strategy involved systematic querying of databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus, using terms related to athletic performance and interventions. Inclusion criteria focused on studies with clearly defined interventions and reliable outcome measures, while studies were excluded based on methodological flaws or irrelevance. Data extraction encompassed details on study design, participant characteristics, intervention specifics, and outcome metrics with the risk of bias evaluated using established tools. Results from fourteen studies revealed that cognitive interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), improved mental skills and performance under pressure; physical interventions, including hypoxic training and resistance programs, significantly enhanced physiological metrics such as VO2 max and strength; emotional interventions positively impacted emotional regulation but showed mixed effects on athletic performance. Limitations included small sample sizes, short follow-up durations, and variability in methodological rigor. The review underscores the importance of integrating these interventions into athletic training noting the need for larger rigorous studies to understand their long-term effectiveness better. Future research should address these limitations to refine and validate the impact of these interventions on overall athletic success.
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