The Impact of Psyching-Up and Cognitive Challenges on Cognitive Performance and Well-Being in Adolescent Swimmers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Highlights: What are the main findings? Integrating psyching-up and cognitive challenges in swimming training improved cognitive performance, mood regulation, and exercise enjoyment in adolescent swimmers. The Psychological Cognitive Group (PCG) exhibited enhanced reaction time, accuracy, and impulse control, with no additional physiological strain compared to other groups. What is the implication of the main finding? Combining psychological and cognitive interventions can optimize both athletic performance and psychological well-being, offering a potential framework for enhancing training programs. The findings support the importance of psychological skills training in youth sports, suggesting that it can be used to improve mental resilience and enjoyment without increasing physical load. Background/Objectives: The integration of psychological techniques, such as psyching-up, into sports training has been increasingly explored for its potential to enhance athletic performance and cognitive function, especially in young athletes. This study aimed to examine the effects of combining psyching-up techniques with cognitive challenges on psychophysiological responses and visuo-auditory attention in adolescent competitive swimmers. Methods: A total of 48 male competitive swimmers were randomly assigned to three groups: the Psyching-Up and Cognitive Group (PCG), the Cognitive Training Group (CGT), and a Control Group (CG). The intervention involved ten training sessions, where the PCG received psyching-up techniques, while both the PCG and CGT participated in cognitive training tasks. Key assessments included cognitive performance tests (Bells Test, Trail Making Test Parts A and B, Go/No-Go Auditory Task), heart rate (%HR max), blood lactate levels, perceived exertion (RPE), and mood state (Total Mood Disturbance). Results: The PCG showed significant improvements in cognitive performance, with fewer omissions in the Bells Test (p = 0.041) and faster reaction times in the Trail Making Test (Part A, p = 0.002; Part B, p = 0.001). In the Go/No-Go Auditory Task, the PCG exhibited faster reaction times and a higher hit rate (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in physiological responses, with %HR max and blood lactate levels showing stable trends across groups. However, the PCG reported significantly higher enjoyment (p < 0.001) and a reduction in Total Mood Disturbance (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Integrating psyching-up techniques with cognitive challenges positively impacts cognitive performance and psychological well-being in adolescent swimmers, without altering physiological responses. These findings highlight the potential of psychological interventions to enhance performance and overall athlete experience in youth sports training.