Mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions in sports: A literature review

In sports psychology, the interest in mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions (MABIs) is continuously growing. These interventions appear to be an alternative or a complement for improving sports performance. Therefore, a good understanding of the application of MABIs in the sports context would make it possible to develop interventions that are better suited to the specificities of sports practice and to broaden the knowledge base in this area. The first part of this literature review presents different mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions developed for athletes. The second part describes the use of mindfulness in sports practice and the mechanisms involved to illustrate the links between mindfulness and sports performance. Finally, mindfulness measures developed for athletes are also discussed.