title: Use of mental techniques for competition and recovery in professional athletes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study aims to describe knowledge about and usage of mental techniques to prepare before competitions and after sport-associated injuries (SAIs) by professional athletes (team sports) in Austria.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 191 professional athletes (basketball, football, hockey, ice hockey, and volleyball teams, m:f = 142:49, 24 ± 5, 18-39 years) filled in a questionnaire assessing socio-demographic data, duration/frequency of sport practice, rate and severity of SAIs. Furthermore, the use of mental techniques and of spiritual practices before competitions and for recovery after SAI was assessed. The use of mental techniques before competitions and after SAI was correlated with socio-demographic data, duration and frequency of sport practice, and injury patterns of SAIs of the last 24 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately, 96 % reported knowledge about at least one mental technique. Only 13 participants used them for regeneration after SAI. Approximately, 31 % of males and 13 % of females reported the use before competitions (p = 0.017). 54 % of participants using spiritual practices used mental techniques before competitions, whereas only 13 % of participants not using spiritual practices used them (p < 0.001). 67 % of participants not using mental techniques before competitions and 88 % using them believed in the effectiveness of mental techniques in the regeneration after a SAI (p = 0.03). A significant increase of the probability of using mental techniques before competition with increasing age was found [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.101, confidence interval (CI) = (1.03, 1.18), p = 0.006].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mental techniques seem to be well-accepted but rarely used among professional athletes. Further studies are needed to give new information about this relevant topic in professional sports.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keilani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasenöhrl
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Immanuel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gartner
authors.affiliation: Section of Medical Statistics, Core Unit for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krall
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fürnhammer
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Fadime
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cenik
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria. richard.crevenna@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crevenna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026441:Mind-Body Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000068958:Return to Sport / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014600:Utilization Review; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Athletes; Austrian; Mental techniques; Professional; Team sports