The effect of one session meditation in controlling mental fatigue and its effect on Proprioception changes, strength and landing mechanics of amateur athletes

Mental fatigue is known as an effective factor in reducing the performance and concentration of athletes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a meditation session in controlling mental fatigue and its effects on Proprioception changes, strength and landing mechanics of amateur athletes. In the current study, 16 female athletes were randomly selected as a sample based on the inclusion criteria. At first, the subjects were influenced by the mental fatigue protocol (45 minutes of cognitive activity). Before and after mental fatigue, Proprioception with angle reconstruction error, muscle strength with manual dynamometer and landing mechanics with landing error scoring system were evaluated. Then, after 48 hours, the subjects received a meditation session, and immediately after that, mental fatigue and the second post-test of the results of the study were performed. Repeated analysis of variance test was used to check intra-group changes. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the average active Proprioception scores, knee extension strength, and landing mechanics of the subjects in comparison of the meditation post-test compared to the mental fatigue post-test (P<0.05). The findings of the present study showed that meditation can be used as an effective intervention in controlling mental fatigue. Therefore, in order to prevent sports injuries, athletes, especially amateur athletes in whom mental fatigue is common, can use this intervention.