Effects of mindfulness training on running performance in a tropical climate

Tropical climates can impair aerobic performance and alter psychological responses during exercise. Mindfulness-based intervention has been associated with improvements in sport performance; however, to our knowledge, no studies have examined their effects on running performance in a Tropical Climate (TC). The present study aimed to investigate whether a 6-week mindfulness intervention was associated with improved running performance and more favourable psychological responses during exercise in a TC. Thirty-two university students (M age = 21.8 years) were randomly assigned to either a Control and Mindfulness group. Participants completed a 20-meter shuttle-run test before and after a 6-week mindfulness intervention (for the participants of the Mindfulness group only) in TC conditions (31 °C; 75%rH). Psychological variables including affect, perceived exertion, mindfulness level, thermal comfort and sensation of fatigue, and running performance (time to exhaustion) were assessed. Compared with the Control group, participants in the Mindfulness group improved their running performance by 15.4% between the pre- and post-test and reported lower levels of negative affect, perceived fatigue, perceived exertion, and thermal discomfort during the post-test. These findings provide preliminary evidence that a mindfulness-based intervention may represent a promising strategy for enhancing endurance performance in a TC and is associated with more favourable psychological responses during exercise. Further research is needed to determine whether these psychological changes contribute to the observed improvement in performance.