Assessing A Virtual Reality Mindfulness Application To Promote Wellbeing And Sport Performance In Elite Athletes

The physical health needs of athletes have been paramount to ensure preparation for play and competition. An often-overlooked area is mental wellbeing, when combined with physical wellbeing, provides a holistic support program. Evidence suggests that mindfulness can improve mental well-being. We sought to examine the use of a virtual reality (VR) mindfulness-based application to support wellbeing and sport performance during elite athletes’ careers (specifically division I collegiate athletes). PURPOSE: To assess use of VR mindfulness-based application on wellbeing and sport performance in division 1 athletes. METHODS: A six-week prospective pilot observational cohort study (n = 8) of VR mindfulness was completed. Surveys were utilized to collect demographic information, wellbeing, mindful awareness, stress, and sport performance. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and follow-up paired t-tests were used to analyze the impact of this pilot intervention on wellbeing and sport performance variables. RESULTS: We detected a significant increase in overall well-being across the VR mindfulness intervention. We did not detect a significant difference in mindful attention and sport performance. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide initial support for the use of VR based mindfulness as a tool to promote well-being in elite division I athletes. Over the course of the four-week intervention, there was improved in self-reported well-being. Trends for reduction in perceived stress and increase excitement about sport appeared; a greater sample size would provide further evidence. Implications for this research could yield widespread implementation and benefits of well-being and sport performance in athletes during their careers.