Intervention of Mindfulness Training on Attention Network and Negative Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Badminton Players

Overview

This study is a randomized controlled trial to examine whether an 8-week mindfulness training program can improve attentional network function and emotion regulation in adolescent badminton athletes aged 12-18 years at the municipal team level. Participants are randomly assigned to either the mindfulness training group or a control group. The mindfulness intervention consists of twice-weekly guided sessions (90 minutes each) for 8 weeks, plus optional daily home practice. The control group continues with their regular training routine only. Changes in attention and emotion regulation are measured before and after the program to see if mindfulness training helps athletes better manage focus and emotions in training and competition.

Background: Adolescent competitive badminton athletes often face high levels of competitive stress and attentional demands, which can negatively affect emotional regulation and performance. Mindfulness training has shown promise in improving attention and emotional control in athletes, but its specific effects on municipal-level adolescent badminton players remain understudied. Objective: To evaluate the effects of an 8-week mindfulness-based training intervention on attentional network efficiency and emotion regulation capacities in 12-18-year-old municipal-level badminton athletes. Methods: This is a single-center, two-arm randomized controlled trial. Eligible athletes are randomly allocated to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group receives an 8-week mindfulness training program consisting of twice-weekly guided sessions (90 minutes each), plus optional daily home practice. The control group continues with their standard badminton training routine without additional mindfulness training. Outcome measures include attentional network tests and emotion regulation scales, assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Expected Outcomes: It is hypothesized that the mindfulness training group will show significant improvements in attentional alerting, orienting, and executive control, as well as better emotional regulation compared to the control group. The findings may provide practical evidence for incorporating mindfulness training into youth athlete development programs.