Abstract
This study investigated the effects of an eight-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on competitive state anxiety and salivary cortisol responses in elite adolescent swimmers. Forty elite swimmers (aged 14–17 years) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 20), which received an 8-week sports-specific mindfulness program alongside regular training, or a control group (n = 20), which engaged in standard training and goal-setting sessions. Competitive state anxiety was assessed using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised (CSAI-2R) before and after the 8-week intervention, specifically one hour prior to major regional competitions. Salivary cortisol samples were collected at waking, 30 minutes post-waking, and one hour pre-competition. Following the 8-week intervention, the MBI group exhibited significant reductions in cognitive anxiety (p < 0.01) and somatic anxiety (p < 0.05), alongside a significant increase in self-confidence (p < 0.01) compared to the control group. Furthermore, pre-competition salivary cortisol levels were significantly attenuated in the mindfulness group (p < 0.01), showing a moderated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response. Correlation analysis revealed that reductions in pre-competition cortisol were positively associated with decreases in somatic anxiety. These findings suggest that sports-specific mindfulness training is an effective physiological and psychological regulation strategy, mitigating competitive stress and enhancing mental resilience in elite youth athletes.
