The increasing body of research underscores that athletic performance is not solely contingent upon physical capabilities but is also significantly influenced by psychological strengths. Despite this, there remains a need for comprehensive meta-analyses to rigorously investigate the link between psychological factors and sports performance. In line with this, the present study seeks to examine the influence of various psychological constructs, such as motivation, self-efficacy, self-confidence, goal setting, attention, stress management, extraversion, self-discipline, personality traits, and emotional intelligence (EI) on athletic performance. This analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and included 127 studies covering a total of 24,358 participants. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist, ensuring a rigorous evaluation of study designs and data reliability. The findings indicate an association between personality traits—such as motivation (d = 0.525), self-efficacy (d = 0.413), conscientiousness (d = 0.316), and extraversion (d = 0.336)—and sports performance. Moreover, the overall association between psychological factors and sports performance was calculated as moderate (d = 0.329). Moderator analyses revealed no significant associations based on variables such as gender, type of sport, or type of athlete. Additionally, no significant associations were found for anxiety, openness to experience, neuroticism, or agreeableness, suggesting that these traits may have more complex or context-dependent relationships with performance. The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that psychological skills training plays a critical role in enhancing athletes’ performance. Future research should delve deeper into studies conducted in specific contexts to better understand the ambivalent relations among these factors.

In this study, it was aimed to reveal the effect of regular life kinetic exercises on the concepts of motivation and imagery in sports in puberty period individuals. In the study in which “pre-test-post-test control group design” was used, 44 students (experiment = 22, control = 22) who were continuing their education in a state secondary school and selected by appropriate sampling method participated. The “Personal Information Form”, “Motivation Scale in Sport” and “Imagery Inventory in Sport” were used as data collection tools. The collected data were analysed using repeated measures analysis of variance. When the results were analysed, it was determined that there were statistically significant differences in the pre-test and post-test mean scores of motivation and imagery in sport. As a result, it can be stated that the life kinetic exercise protocol applied for 8 weeks in sedentary individuals positively predicted motivation and imagery parameters in sports. This result indicates that the related psychological phenomena, which are as important as sport performance in sports, can be positively affected by cognitive and motoric exercise combinations.

This study sought to establish an optimal inspiratory warm-up (IWU) protocol for elite 400-meter athletes. It addresses the existing gap in sprint-specific research and provides practical applications for coaches and athletes aiming to optimize sprint running performance. Across four weeks, 13 elite male runners (age: 22.7 ± 2, personal best: 50.78 ± 0.65 s) performed four 400-meter time trials after different warm-up protocols in a randomized order. Assessments of various respiratory variables [maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), peak inspiratory flow rate (PIFR), inhaled volume (IV)] and selected physiological indices [heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (bLa)] were performed before and after the time trials. Analysis of variance with a significance level of p < 0.05 was applied. Incorporating IWU into a standard running warm-up resulted in a ~ 0.38-second faster 400-meter time trial in elite male sprinters (p < 0.001). The most effective IWU protocols, associated with the fastest run splits, consist of two sets of 30 dynamic inspiratory maneuvers performed with pressure threshold loading at 40% or 60% of MIP resistance. These protocols exhibited a positive influence on selected respiratory indices and significantly lowered post-run lactate concentrations compared to the athletic warm-up and sham protocol. IWU with 40% MIP resistance was associated with lower post-run HR compared to other protocols. IWU using pressure threshold loading at either 40% or 60% of MIP can be beneficial for elite male sprinters. While 40% MIP appears to support faster recovery, a higher intensity at 60% MIP shows greater effectiveness in enhancing 400-meter sprint performance. Future research should explore IWU applications across broader populations and conditions, including female athletes, various hypoxic environments, and temperature variations.

Understanding the effects of physical activity on the life skills of university students and how exercise shapes their eating habits is critical for the development of healthy lifestyles. This study aimed to examine the relationships between life skills, exercise habits, and nutritional behaviors of students enrolled in the Faculty of Sport Sciences, involving the participation of 222 male and 143 female students. This study utilized a correlational survey model to examine the relationships between life skills, exercise habits, and nutritional behaviors. The research data were collected with the Personal Information Form, the Life Skills Scale for Sport and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale. The findings revealed that female students had higher scores in life skills areas such as communication, leadership and teamwork compared to male students, while male students had higher exercise scores. In addition, a moderate positive relationship was found between exercise and nutrition and exercise had a significant predictive power on dietary habits. These results emphasize the important role of exercise in supporting life skills and healthy lifestyles of university students.

This study examines the effect of stress on cognitive failures and the potential moderating role of aerobic exercise. A total of 290 university students participated, and moderation analysis was conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS Model 1 (Version 4.2). Results showed that stress alone did not significantly predict cognitive failures. However, aerobic exercise appeared to play a potential moderating role in this relationship. Specifically, a significant association between stress and cognitive failures was observed among moderate- and high-intensity exercisers, while no such effect was found in low-intensity exercisers. Additionally, sleep duration was negatively associated with cognitive failures. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise may influence the relationship between stress and cognitive failures, although further investigation is needed to establish this effect more conclusively.

Bireylerin erken yaşlarda spor ile tanışması, gelecek yaşamlarında spora ilişkin tutum ve davranışlarının önemli bir belirleyicisidir. İlköğretim dönemi ise çocukların gelişimlerinin desteklenmesi ve bazı alışkanlıkların kazanılmasında önemli bir zaman dilimidir. Yapılan araştırma da 6-7 yaş ilkokul çocuklarının spora ilişkin görüşlerini belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Örneklem grubunu, Bartın ve İstanbul illerinde ilköğretim düzeyinde eğitim gören toplam 52 çocuk oluşturmaktadır. Nitel olarak yapılan çalışmada verilerin toplanmasında yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Katılımcılar ile gerçekleştirilen görüşmeler, katılımcıların kendilerini rahat ifade edebilecekleri ortamlar da uygulanmıştır. Veriler üzerinde içerik analizi yapılmıştır. Sonuç olarak; çocukların spor ve sporcu terimlerini tam olarak kavrayamadığı, sporun kimler tarafından nasıl ve nerede yapıldığına ilişkin sınırlı sayıda görüşe sahip oldukları, futbol, voleybol, atletizm ve basketbol gibi spor dallarını bildikleri belirlenmiştir. Sonuçlar literatür bilgileri ışığında tartışılmış ve çocukların spora ilişkin bilgi ve aktivitelerinin arttırılması önerilmiştir.