Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness最新文献

{"title":"Acute effect of dark chocolate intake before high-intensity resistance exercise on arterial stiffness in healthy young men","authors":"Urara Hata ,&nbsp;Yuto Hashimoto ,&nbsp;Midori Natsume ,&nbsp;Takanobu Okamoto","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.08.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.08.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aims</h3><div>This study investigated the effect of dark chocolate (DC) intake before resistance exercise (RE) on arterial stiffness.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twelve healthy adult males (age, 23.0 ± 1.0 years) performed DC or white chocolate (WC) intake trial on separate days in a randomized crossover trials. Participants consumed 50g of DC containing 1285 mg cocoa polyphenols or an isocaloric amount of WC 50g without polyphenols. All participants performed 5 sets of 5 repetitions using 80 % of the 1 repetition maximum (1RM) bench press and 5 sets of 10 repetitions using 70 % of the 1RM biceps curl. Brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), blood pressure, and heart rate were measured before chocolate intake (baseline); and before (at 60 min after chocolate intake), immediately after, and at 30 and 60 min after completing the RE.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In both trials, there was a significant increase in baPWV immediately after the RE compared with baseline (baseline: DC 1103 ± 94 cm/s, WC 1108 ± 167 cm/s; immediately after RE: DC 1300 ± 187 cm/s, WC 1325 ± 178 cm/s; P &lt; 0.05). In the DC intake trial, baPWV decreased to 1210 ± 180 cm/s at 30 min and 1155 ± 134 cm/s at 60 min after RE, compared to immediately after RE (P &lt; 0.05). In contrast, in the WC intake trial baPWV was decreased to 1222 ± 176 cm/s at 60 min after RE compared to immediately after RE (P &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These results suggest that in comparison with WC intake, DC intake before RE might quickly reduce post-exercise increased arterial stiffness. <strong>Clinical Trials Registry Number</strong>: UMIN000052616.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 409-415"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acute effects of blue and red light exposure on cognitive performance, exercise capacity, perceived effort, and dynamic balance: A randomized crossover study","authors":"Ukbe Sirayder ,&nbsp;Merdan Orunoglu ,&nbsp;Oguzhan Yilmaz","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>This study investigated the acute effects of narrow-band blue (460 nm) and red (630 nm) light exposure on cognitive performance, exercise capacity, perceived fatigue, and dynamic balance in healthy young males. To our knowledge, this is the first randomized crossover study to systematically assess the combined impact of pre-exercise light exposure on both cognitive-motor integration and aerobic performance within an exercise context.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Fifty physically active young males participated in a randomized crossover design. Participants were exposed to either blue or red light, followed immediately by assessments of simple reaction time (SRT), Incremental Shuttle Walk Test (ISWT) distance, heart rate, perceived exertion, and Y-Balance Test performance.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Blue light exposure led to a significant and large improvement in SRT (Δ = −53.33 ms; p &lt; 0.001, η²_p = 0.270) and enhanced dynamic balance. Red light exposure produced greater increases in ISWT distance (Δ = +36.98 m; p = 0.004, η²_p = 0.453) and significant reductions in perceived fatigue and dyspnea. A moderate positive correlation was observed between SRT improvement and ISWT distance under blue light (β = 0.1869, p = 0.008).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study demonstrates that short-term, wavelength-specific light exposure may optimize both cognitive and physiological readiness prior to exercise. These findings provide novel evidence supporting the integration of individualized light-based strategies in athletic preparation protocols.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 389-398"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144896025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing cognitive function through blood flow restriction: An effective resistance exercise modality for middle-aged women","authors":"Dohyeon Lee ,&nbsp;Kyeongho Byun ,&nbsp;Sewon Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Cognitive decline progresses more rapidly in women than in men, with a higher prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases observed in females. Exercise has been shown to enhance cognitive function through the upregulation of neurotrophic factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). However, high-load resistance exercise may not be suitable for all populations, particularly middle-aged women. Low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (LLBFR) has emerged as an effective alternative. This study investigated the acute effects of LLBFR on neurotrophic factors and cognitive function in middle-aged women.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Fifteen healthy middle-aged women completed a randomized crossover trial involving four conditions: control (CON), low-load resistance exercise (LLRE), LLBFR, and moderate-load resistance exercise (MLRE). Cognitive function was assessed before and after each session using the color-word matching Stroop task (CWST). Blood samples were analyzed for serum levels of BDNF, VEGF, and IGF-1, and lactate concentrations were measured to evaluate metabolic responses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Only the LLBFR condition showed significant improvements in CWST reaction time (<em>p</em> = 0.002) with no changes in error rates, indicating enhanced cognitive performance. Serum BDNF and VEGF levels increased significantly following both LLBFR (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001, <em>p</em> = 0.014, respectively) and MLRE (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001, <em>p</em> = 0.004, respectively), whereas IGF-1 levels remained unchanged across conditions. Increases in lactate concentrations were positively correlated with changes in BDNF and VEGF (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001 for both), but not with IGF-1.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A single session of LLBFR improved cognitive function and upregulated neurotrophic factors, particularly BDNF and VEGF, in middle-aged women. These findings suggest that LLBFR may be an effective intervention for promoting cognitive health in this population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 379-388"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Compared to moderate-intensity continuous training, short-term high-intensity interval training demonstrates enhanced effects on metabolic flexibility in adult males with obesity","authors":"Jia-Zheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiao-Mei Liu ,&nbsp;Shi-Qi Lu ,&nbsp;Zhen-Bo Cao ,&nbsp;Zheng Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The aim of this study was to assess the effects of short-term high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous aerobic training (MICT) with matched energy expenditure on metabolic flexibility and other metabolic parameters in adult male individuals with obesity.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Twenty male individuals with obesity (age: 21.4 ± 1.5 years; body mass index: 31.0 ± 3.6 kg/m²) were enrolled in this crossover design study. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention sequence of 1) 3 consecutive days of HIIT (30 min, 6 × 2.5 min bouts at 90 % Peak Oxygen Uptake (VO_2peak), alternated with 2.5 min active recovery periods [25 % VO_2peak]), or 2) three consecutive days of MICT (60 min at 50 % VO_2peak), with a washout period of 1 week. Respiratory quotient (RQ), glucose, C-peptide, insulin, and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels were measured both during fasting and throughout a 180 min oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), conducted before and after the intervention. The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) and Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) were derived. ΔRQ was defined as the average RQ during the OGTT minus fasting RQ.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Short-term exercise intervention significantly reduced HOMA-IR in male individuals with obesity (P &lt; 0.001) and concurrently increased the Matsuda index (P = 0.001). Both exercise interventions led to a similar decrease in fasting RQ (P = 0.001), C-peptide, insulin, and HOMA-IR (P &lt; 0.001). Additionally, they reduced the iAUC for glucose and insulin during the OGTT (P &lt; 0.001). The ΔRQ and the RQ iAUC in the HIIT group were significantly higher than those in the MICT group, and different exercise intensities exhibited interactive effects within groups for RQ iAUC and ΔRQ (P = 0.013 and P = 0.012).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Two short-term exercise interventions similarly improved glucose tolerance, with HIIT demonstrating a more advantageous effect on metabolic flexibility than MICT in male individuals with obesity.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>The trial was officially registered at <span><span>www.chictr.org.cn</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> (ChiCTR2300072884).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 370-378"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Autoregulated resistance training for maximal strength enhancement: A systematic review and network meta-analysis","authors":"Zijing Huang ,&nbsp;Jian Sun ,&nbsp;Duanying Li ,&nbsp;Chao Chen ,&nbsp;Dexin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aims to systematically review the effects of Autoregulating Progressive Resistance Exercise (APRE), Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and Velocity-based Resistance Training (VBRT) on maximal strength through a network meta-analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forest plots and network diagrams visualized training modality differences and intervention relationships. Pooled standard mean difference (SMD) of different studies and the corresponding 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) quantified effect sizes, with inconsistency models assessing heterogeneity and surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) values ranking protocols by optimal probability.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>For back squat 1RM, no moderate/large effect sizes were observed between interventions. SUCRA rankings showed APRE (93.0 %) as the most optimal intervention, followed by RPE (66.8 %), VBRT (27.0 %), and PBRT (13.2 %). In bench press 1RM, PBRT demonstrated a large effect vs APRE (SMD = −0.83, −1.22 to −0.44), while RPE showed a moderate effect vs APRE (SMD = −0.76, −1.70 to 0.19). SUCRA rankings prioritized APRE (97.1 %), followed by VBRT (57.1 %), RPE (29.9 %), and PBRT (15.9 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In this study, the network meta-analysis confirmed that APRE, VBRT, and RPE were significantly more effective than PBRT in enhancing maximum strength. Among these, APRE demonstrated the greatest effect, ranking first in the improvement of both the back squat and bench press 1RM, followed by VBRT, RPE, and PBRT.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 360-369"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144739687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and arterial health in young-, and middle-age women: A mediation effect of body composition","authors":"Jitanan Laosiripisan ,&nbsp;Napasakorn Chuensiri ,&nbsp;Prin Ongkeaw ,&nbsp;Thanonwat Sriputsayathanoth ,&nbsp;Sawitree Poonpetpradab ,&nbsp;Pornpicha Narmgate","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 341-348"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144657307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing the effects of 25-minute electrical muscle stimulation vs. 90-minute full-body resistance training on body composition and strength: A 20-week intervention","authors":"Süleyman Ulupınar ,&nbsp;Uğur Arı ,&nbsp;Necip Fazıl Kishalı ,&nbsp;İzzet İnce ,&nbsp;Salih Çabuk ,&nbsp;Cebrail Gençoğlu ,&nbsp;Serhat Özbay","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Electromyostimulation (EMS) and traditional resistance training (TradRT) are widely used methods for improving muscle strength and body composition. However, comparative studies employing a multi-week longitudinal design remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 20 weeks of EMS vs. TradRT on body composition and strength performance in physically active adults.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forty-six participants were randomly assigned to either the EMS group (n = 22) or the TradRT group (n = 24). The EMS group performed twice-weekly, 25-min whole-body EMS sessions, while the TradRT group completed twice-weekly, 90-min full-body resistance training sessions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Assessments of body weight, body mass index (BMI), fat percentage, and maximal strength were conducted at baseline, 10 weeks, and 20 weeks. A significant time effect was observed for all variables (p &lt; 0.001), indicating improvements in both groups. However, group × time interactions revealed distinct adaptation patterns. The TradRT group exhibited greater reductions in body fat percentage and superior strength gains in bench press, leg press, shoulder press, and triceps pushdown, and abdominal strength. Conversely, the EMS group showed greater reductions in body weight and BMI. No significant interaction effect was observed for biceps curl strength. Both EMS and TradRT were effective in improving strength and body composition, but TradRT led to greater strength development and fat reduction, while EMS was more effective for weight and BMI reduction.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These findings suggest that EMS may serve as a viable alternative for individuals unable to engage in high-load resistance training, whereas TradRT remains superior for maximizing strength and fat loss.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 349-359"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144722099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of local and remote ischemic preconditioning on 3-min all-out exercise performance: A randomized controlled crossover study","authors":"Weerapong Chidnok ,&nbsp;Yu-Hsuan Kuo ,&nbsp;Chu Chen ,&nbsp;Chi-Hsueh Pan ,&nbsp;Ching-Feng Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigated the influences of local ischemic preconditioning (LIPC) and remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) on muscle deoxygenation before and during a 3-min all-out cycling test (3 MT), as well as on 3 MT performance.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Fifteen male athletes completed LIPC (thighs, 220 mmHg, 4 × 5 min), RIPC (upper limbs, 30 mmHg above systolic blood pressure, 4 × 5 min), and SHAM (thighs, 20 mmHg, 4 × 5 min) interventions in a randomized crossover design, with a 4-day washout period between sessions. The 3 MT was conducted 45 min after each intervention. Parameters derived from the 3 MT included end-test power output (EP) and the work performed above EP (WEP). Muscle oxygenation of the thigh and blood biochemical variables (lactate, pH, nitric oxide, and norepinephrine) were assessed before and during exercise.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>During the resting period between the intervention and the 3 MT, deoxyhemoglobin and total hemoglobin were significantly higher in the LIPC condition than in RIPC and SHAM (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed among conditions in peak oxygen uptake, slow component amplitude, EP, WEP, or blood biochemical variables during the 3 MT.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>LIPC increased muscle total hemoglobin during the post-intervention resting period, particularly within 10 min of the final occlusion. However, neither LIPC nor RIPC improved performance during high-intensity cycling exercise.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 325-332"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144656790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-lagged analysis of mobile phone addiction, bedtime procrastination, and exercise self-efficacy among university students","authors":"Zhou Xielin ,&nbsp;Zhang Mu ,&nbsp;Chen Lu ,&nbsp;Li Bo","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Exercise self-efficacy refers to an individual's cognitive ability to believe that they can accomplish the goals and tasks of physical activity, which is particularly important for developing physical and mental health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between mobile phone addiction, bedtime procrastination, and exercise self-efficacy among college students, and to provide intervention directions and theoretical insights for developing college students' physical and mental health.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using the College Students' Mobile Phone Addiction Scale, the Bedtime Procrastination Scale, and the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, a longitudinal follow-up survey of 407 college students in provinces X and Y was conducted at 3-month intervals in May 2024 (T1) and August 2024 (T2) to analyze the mechanism of the interaction between the College Students’ Mobile Phone Addiction Scale, the Bedtime Procrastination Scale and the exercise self-efficacy using cross-lagging.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There was no significant difference between mobile phone addiction, bedtime procrastination, and exercise self-efficacy among college students in terms of gender, academic year, and age. It was found that T1 mobile phone addiction positively predicted T2 bedtime procrastination (β = 0.15, p &lt; 0.05), while T1 bedtime procrastination positively predicted T2 mobile phone addiction (β = 0.15, p &lt; 0.001), indicating that mobile phone addiction and bedtime procrastination predicted each other temporally. In addition, T1 bedtime procrastination negatively predicted T2 exercise self-efficacy (β = −0.10, p &lt; 0.05) and T1 mobile phone addiction negatively predicted T2 exercise self-efficacy (β = −0.12, p &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>There was a longitudinal predictive relationship between cell phone addiction, bedtime procrastination, and exercise self-efficacy; cell phone addiction and bedtime procrastination predicted each other; bedtime procrastination predicted exercise self-efficacy; and cell phone addiction predicted exercise self-efficacy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 333-340"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144657306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of mindfulness-based interventions on sports performance and mental health: An umbrella review","authors":"Boyuan Xie ,&nbsp;Siman Lei ,&nbsp;Ngai Choi ,&nbsp;Siu Ming Choi ,&nbsp;Xiuqiang Wang ,&nbsp;Yiwen Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.06.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jesf.2025.06.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background/Objective</h3><div>While Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) are increasingly explored for enhancing sports performance and mental health in athletes, existing systematic reviews present conflicting results regarding their efficacy due to methodological inconsistencies and varied athlete populations. To address these discrepancies, this umbrella review critically evaluates evidence from systematic reviews to determine the aggregate effects of MBIs on sports performance, mindfulness indicators, and mental health outcomes among athletes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Systematic searches of PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and Scopus were conducted from inception to January 2024. Included studies were systematic reviews examining MBIs for athletic populations and reporting on sports performance, mindfulness indicators, or mental health outcomes. Methodological quality of included reviews was appraised using AMSTAR-2.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Fifteen systematic reviews and meta-analyses, encompassing 10,503 athletes, met inclusion criteria. Most reviews indicated positive trends for MBIs in improving sports performance, mindfulness indicators and various mental health outcomes. However, substantial methodological heterogeneity in primary study designs and MBIs protocols across reviews limited definitive conclusions. Critically, AMSTAR-2 assessments revealed that the majority (11 of 15, 73 %) of included reviews were of critically low methodological quality, with the remainder rated as low quality.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>While MBIs show potential to foster improved sports performance and mental health in athletes, the current evidence base is considerably weakened by the poor methodological quality of existing systematic reviews. A pressing need exists for future research to employ more rigorous methodologies, standardised intervention protocols, and consistent outcome reporting to establish a robust evidence base for the application of MBIs in sports.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15793,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness","volume":"23 4","pages":"Pages 261-272"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572614","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}