effect of yoga-based mindfulness intervention on blood cortisol hormone and competitive state anxiety in boy-skilled volleyball players

Aim: mental health is affected by stress and anxiety. studies have shown that yoga-based mindfulness interventions reduce anxiety and improve the performance of athletes. the present study aimed to investigate the effect of yoga-based mindfulness on skilled volleyball players' blood cortisol hormone levels and competitive state anxiety. methods: the participants consisted of 28 boy volleyball players that randomly divided into experimental (m age = 17.71 ±0.91 y, m experience = 4.64 ± 0.84 y) and control (m age = 17.93 ±0.61 y, m experience = 4.71 ± 1.13 y) groups. subjects completed the competitive state anxiety inventory (csai-r2), and blood samples were also taken to measure cortisol hormone in the pre and post-test phase 30 minutes before a volleyball match. the experimental group then participated in a yoga-based mindfulness intervention for 12 sessions (each session 1.5 hours). results: the covariance analysis showed that yoga-based mindfulness exercises caused significantly lower blood cortisol levels (p = 0.01), cognitive anxiety (p = 0.003), and somatic anxiety (p=0.0001) in the experimental group than the control group in the post-test. however, it did not significantly affect self-confidence (p=0.69) (p <0.05). conclusion: the present study suggested that sports psychologists and coaches can use yoga-based mindfulness intervention to improve cortisol levels and cognitive and somatic anxiety aim: mental health is affected by stress and anxiety. studies have shown that yoga-based mindfulness interventions reduce anxiety and improve the performance of athletes. the present study aimed to investigate the effect of yoga-based mindfulness on skilled volleyball players' blood cortisol hormone levels and competitive state anxiety. methods: the participants consisted of 28 boy volleyball players that randomly divided into experimental (m age = 17.71 ±0.91 y, m experience = 4.64 ± 0.84 y) and control (m age = 17.93 ±0.61 y, m experience = 4.71 ± 1.13 y) groups. subjects completed the competitive state anxiety inventory (csai-r2), and blood samples were also taken to measure cortisol hormone in the pre and post-test phase 30 minutes before a volleyball match. the experimental group then participated in a yoga-based mindfulness intervention for 12 sessions (each session 1.5 hours). results: the covariance analysis showed that yoga-based mindfulness exercises caused significantly lower blood cortisol levels (p = 0.01), cognitive anxiety (p = 0.003), and somatic anxiety (p=0.0001) in the experimental group than the control group in the post-test. however, it did not significantly affect self-confidence (p=0.69) (p <0.05). conclusion: the present study suggested that sports psychologists and coaches can use yoga-based mindfulness intervention to improve cortisol levels and cognitive and somatic anxiety.