Effects of a MAC Intervention on Performance and Well-being in Martial Arts Competitors

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach for a group of competitive martial artists (n=22) compared to a passive control group of competitive martial artists (n=21) on levels of sporting performance, sports mindfulness, experiential avoidance and sport anxiety. Participants were allocated to groups based on the ability to attend the MAC training modules, held either in Gothenburg or Stockholm and participants performed self-ratings based on a survey completed pre- and post-intervention. The hypothesis was that the MAC group would show improvements in the key variables over time and compared to the control group. Results from a two-way mixed ANOVA showed significantly better sporting performance and sports mindfulness compared to the control group. Results failed to show a significant difference in experiential avoidance and sport anxiety levels between the groups. Results therefore suggest that the MAC intervention is an effective approach for performance improvement and for developing the ability to have present-moment attention, awareness and acceptance regardless of thoughts and emotions for martial artists. More research is required to further investigate MAC’s effect on sport anxiety and experiential avoidance as well as to be able to generalise the results to other sports.