title: Mental skills comparison between elite sprint and endurance track and field runners according to their genetic polymorphism: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Achieving excellence in track and field athletes requires specific mental skills. The aim of the present study was to compare the mental skills between elite sprint and endurance athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty elite athletes (age 20.55±2.22 years, body mass 74.8±7.9 kg, height 1.70±0.1 m) participated in the present study. The athletes were classified into two groups according to their genetic polymorphism to physical activity: Endurance group (allele I, N.=20) and power group (allele D, N.=20). The mental skills were assessed by means of Ottawa Mental Skill Assessment Tool-3 inventory (OMSAT-3: based in foundation mental skills, psychosomatic skills, and cognitive skills subscales) before the competition period. Furthermore, genetic data were also collected. Sprint and endurance runners were participating in Tunisian National championship.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed a significant difference between elite sprint and endurance runners in the foundation mental and psychosomatic skills subscales (all, P<0.05). Typically, the present study revealed that goal setting, commitment, stress reactions, fear control, imagery, competition planning and mental practice were significantly higher among the elite sprint runners compared to the endurance runners (all, P<0.05). Findings from this study could confirm the widely acclaimed research assumption that mental skills, such as goal setting, commitment and mental practice, are the predictor variables of power performances, while endurance performances are associated with different mental skills components.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Finally, the results may inform applied practitioners regarding the differences in mental skill demands between power and endurance athletes and the genetic predisposition of practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Bizerte, Bizerte, Tunisia - znazen.hela @laposte.net.|Tunisian Research Laboratory &quot;Sports Performance Optimization&quot;, National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia - znazen.hela @laposte.net.
authors.forename: Hela
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Znazen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Bizerte, Bizerte, Tunisia.|Tunisian Research Laboratory &quot;Sports Performance Optimization&quot;, National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Maamer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slimani
authors.affiliation: Physical Education School, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Miarka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Butovskaya
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Children Hospital Bechir Hamza, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hajer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Siala
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Bizerte, Bizerte, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Taieb
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Messaoud
authors.affiliation: Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre, ASPETAR, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chamari
authors.affiliation: Tunisian Research Laboratory &quot;Sports Performance Optimization&quot;, National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Souissi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012420:Running / Q000523:psychology*; D014142:Track and Field / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult