RunUltra has had a call for ultra runners who would be prepared to take part in some research on mental skills interventions. If you would like to join the study, the details are below. We will be publishing the results of the research here on RunUltra when it is concluded.
Research Call
Research has suggested that mental skills interventions (e.g. speaking to yourself positively, visualizing yourself performing well, planning on how to deal with difficulties) can help improve endurance performance, however the majority of this research only ever occurs in laboratory settings. We are interested in examining if a brief mental skills intervention that is delivered online can play a role in real world competitive settings.
We are looking for any endurance athletes who are 18 or above, who have an event/competition/race within the next 4 months, who have a specific goal for this event/competition/race and who are currently training at least three times a week.
If you decide to take part in the current study, three weeks before your event you will be randomised to one of the mental skills interventions or to the control condition.
- If you are in the mental skills intervention group you will be given some information on this skill, and how you can use it in your upcoming event/competition/race.
- If you are in the control condition you will be asked to prepare and compete in your event/competition/race as you normally would.
Two to three days after your event/competition/race, you will receive another email to a follow up questionnaire which will look at your performance in your event, your experience of the intervention, and how well you coped with stress during your event.
At the end of the study you will also be emailed details on the other mental skills interventions used in the current study.
The link to register your interest and for more information can be found here.
If you know of any other endurance athletes who may be interested in taking part, please share the survey link with them.
If you have any questions please contact [email protected]
