Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction to Enhance Flow and Performance During Basketball Ending Season: A Pilot Protocol

A lot of studies demonstrated the efficacy of mindfulness in enhancing recovery, and stress management in athletes, in various domains, including attention, emotional regulation, athletic performance. Flow, a state of deep absorption and involvement in an activity, has been identified as a key predictor of excellent performance in sport. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week mindfulness protocol to increase athletic performance and facilitating access to the state of flow during professional basketball playoffs. A sample of 15 male players (mean age 28; standard deviation ±6.5), from Serie A 2 and Serie B national leagues, received a weekly audio track (almost 10 minutes) accompanied by operational instructions, an optional diary, and weekly debriefing. Objective measures of performance (game statistics, Heart Rate Variability) and subjective measures were collected using the following questionnaires: The Flow State Scale, the Mindfulness Inventory for Sport, the Sport Anxiety Scale and the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes. The data analysis built-in a range of metrics, including pre-post and between-group comparisons (repeated measures ANOVA), as well as correlations between mindfulness, flow, and performance, and Heart Rate Variability and sleep analysis utilizing wearable devices (Oura, Polar). Preliminary results indicate a marked enhancement in the subjective aspects of flow, with an average increase evident within the initial week in scores pertaining to task concentration, perception of body control, and spontaneity in action. Sleep data indicate an increase in REM time and a reduction in nighttime awakenings. The absence of a control group constitutes a significant limitation of the study, for future developments we plan to expand the sample and carry out a comparison control.