Effect of Mindfulness Practice on EEG and Anxiety Levels in Martial Arts Karate Athletes
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Abstract
Background and Aim: This research aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness training on brain waves and anxiety levels of competitive karate athletes, and to compare the effects of the Mindfulness Acceptance Commitment (MAC) program on athletes' anxiety levels. The sample consisted of Thai national karate team athletes, both male and female, aged 18-28 years, who experienced moderate to high levels of competition anxiety.
Materials and Methods: The researcher employed a purposive sampling method, with the sample size determined from established tables, totaling 13 individuals. The researcher calculated the sample size using G*Power software based on Cohen's 1988 principles, with an effect size of 0.6, an α value of .05, a power of 0.8, and 1 group. To prevent sample loss due to dropout, an additional 2 participants were included, making the total sample size 15 individuals. However, due to problems with the sample group's participation in completing the research process, 5 participants declined to continue in the study, leaving a final sample of 10 participants in this research. The sample group received mindfulness training according to the MAC program in conjunction with regular karate training for 7 weeks, 2 days per week. Brain wave testing was conducted 1 week before the competition, alongside the administration of the revised State Anxiety Inventory 5 minutes before the competition and the Sport Mindfulness Scale immediately after the competition, both before and after the experimental intervention.
Results: The results from data analysis using descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation, standard error, and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test at the .05 significance level revealed statistically significant differences at the .05 level in alpha and beta brain waves before and after the experiment at electrodes Cz (p=0.02), Cp6 (p=0.04), Pz (p=0.02), and P4 (p<0.01), but no significant differences were found at other electrode sites. Regarding state anxiety levels and sport mindfulness levels before and after the experiment, no statistically significant differences were found at the .05 level. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Commitment training program demonstrates positive trends in affecting Thai national karate team athletes, particularly in terms of brain physiology, and shows promising potential for developing important psychological factors related to competition, although these effects were not clearly evident within the timeframe of this study.
Conclusion: The Mindfulness Acceptance Commitment program demonstrated potential positive effects on Thai national karate athletes, particularly regarding cerebral physiological parameters, and showed promising trends for developing key psychological factors relevant to competition performance, although these effects did not reach statistical significance within the timeframe of this investigation.
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