Endurance psychology

How yoga and motivation exercises boost performance Mental preparation for competition is an increasingly important factor in athletes’ training, but there has been very little field research on how the various preparation strategies affect different types of athletic performance. Now a new US study has shown that yoga and motivational exercises can both boost one-mile […]

When it comes to doing your best, it’s the thoughts that count  When it comes to running – or any other endurance sport – your mind can be your biggest asset or your worst enemy. Enjoying your training and achieving your best performances is not simply down to physical conditioning: your mental states and, particularly, […]

Ergogenic aids How turning on and tuning in can boost your motivation and aid your workout.  Any serious athlete recognises the importance of regular physical training to prepare the body for competition. But even the most dedicated among them experience dips in their motivation and long for something to relieve the boredom of repetitive training […]

How encouraging athletes boosts performance Offering verbal encouragement to athletes attempting maximal effort is entirely instinctive. Indeed it is almost impossible to imagine a situation in which coaches, parents, fellow athletes and friends would stand silent on the sidelines, instead of shouting out such original motivators as: ‘keep it going’, ‘go for it’, ‘push it’ […]

A new UK study on the ergogenic effects of music has tended to muddy the waters of scientific research rather than clarify them. In contrast to previous findings that music benefits performance by reducing perceived exertion, the current study found the opposite to be true.  Sixteen physically active participants performed two 10k time trials on […]

Pain and brain – a revolutionary approach to treating injury Injury and pain are a competitive athlete’s worst nightmare, scuppering even the best-laid training plans. And when injuries become chronic, they can destroy confidence and even end athletic careers. But a revolution is taking place in our understanding of pain, which has profound implications for […]

‘Tuning up’ performance – music and videos as ergogenic aids Elite professional sport is now so competitive that few elite athletes can afford to ignore the psychological skills and techniques required to enhance mental toughness. Recent research has seen some creative approaches to developing psychological skills, such as listening to carefully selected music and watching […]

Music hath charms to soothe the savage workout – or perhaps it doesn’t Athletes seem to enjoy listening to music while they are training, whether it’s hot jazz or hard rock broadcast over a loudspeaker system in the gym or cooler tones brought direct to the ears by the earphones of a carry-along Walkman. Many […]

The concept of psychological momentum in sport and ways to trigger, maintain and reverse it It’s often talked about but poorly understood. Lee Crust looks at the evidence for ‘psychological momentum’ and whether it can contribute to a winning performanceIn professional sport there are numerous examples of teams or individuals that just seem to be […]

How 10 years of sports psychology research can be utilised in your training programme Sport psychology is a relatively young science but, as Andy Lane and Tracey Devonport explain, the years since the turn of the century have seen some major advances in understanding the role of the mind in sport Emotion regulation It is […]