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June 6, 2026BMC PsychologyOpen Access

A 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention significantly increased prefrontal theta power (p<0.001) and improved psychological coping skills in athletes.

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Why the study?

Does a 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention improve neural activity and coping skills in elite national-level athletes?

Population

26 elite national-level athletes (11 swimmers and 15 gymnasts)

Comparison

Combined breathing control and self-talk… vs Control group

Design

RCT, Randomized to an experimental or control group

Follow-up

4 weeks

Key result

A 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention significantly increased prefrontal theta power (p<0.001) and improved psychological coping skills in athletes.

Authors

KTKittichai TharawadeepimukEOEkarat OnnomANAmpika Nanbancha

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Overview

A 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention improves psychological coping skills and alters neurophysiological markers related to anxiety regulation and attention in elite athletes.

Key Points

  • To evaluate the effects of a 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention on EEG activity and coping skills in athletes.
  • Randomized control trial design with 26 elite athletes (11 swimmers, 15 gymnasts) assigned to experimental or control group.
  • 16 sessions of intervention administered over 4 weeks, assessing EEG and ACSI-28 scores pre- and post-intervention.
  • EEG power spectral density analyzed using generalized linear mixed models; ACSI-28 assessed with repeated measures ANOVA.
  • Significant increase in theta power in the prefrontal area for the experimental group (p < .001).
  • Notable decrease in beta power in the frontal area for the experimental group (p = .003).
  • Improvements found in ACSI-28 subscales for coping with adversity (p = .018), concentration (p = .027), confidence and achievement motivation (p = .039), goal setting/mental preparation (p = .009), and peaking under pressure (p = .043).

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=26)

Randomization

randomized

Structured PICO

Does a 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention improve neural activity and coping skills in elite national-level athletes?

P
Population
26 elite national-level athletes (11 swimmers and 15 gymnasts) randomized to a 4-week intervention or control.
I
Intervention
Combined breathing control and self-talk intervention consisting of 16 sessions over four weeks (four days per week)
C
Comparator
Control group
O
Outcome
Electroencephalogram (EEG) activity (power spectral density) and coping skills (Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 [ACSI-28] scores)surrogate

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.001

A 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention improves psychological coping skills and alters neurophysiological markers related to anxiety regulation and attention in elite athletes.

Limitations

  • EEG findings should be interpreted as indirect neural correlates rather than direct markers of psychological states

Cite This Study

Tharawadeepimuk et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in elite national-level athletes (n=26). combined breathing control and self-talk vs. control was evaluated on EEG power spectral density and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28) scores (p=<0.001). A 4-week combined breathing control and self-talk intervention significantly increased prefrontal theta power (p<0.001) and improved psychological coping skills in athletes.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a23ba1771a5da9775e75ca4https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04814-w
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1The Evaluation of Breathing 5:5 effect on resilience, stress and balance center measured by Single-Channel EEG2025
  2. 2Mental Strategies for Sustaining Optimal Physiological Functioning in Endurance Training2025
  3. 3A Systematic Review of Cognitive Sports Psychology Interventions on High School, College, and Professional Athletes2024
  4. 4Effects of psychological interventions on anxiety in athletes: a meta-analysis based on controlled trials2025 · 22 citations
  5. 5A psychophysiological approach to the study of strategic self-talk mechanisms through heart rate variability during a cycling task2025 · 1 citations