Author(s): CLERT, S., LONGARETTI, Y., ZARKA, D., MASTAGLI, M., DINET, J., BARBRY, A., Institution: UNIVERSITÉ DE LORRAINE, Country: FRANCE, Abstract-ID: 2577

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) are well-recognized as a psychological intervention that improves psychological indicators (e.g., well-being, mindfulness skills) of sports performance and/or health (1,2). Nevertheless, the effects of MBI on physical and physiological markers of performance and health (e.g., cardiorespiratory fitness: CRF) lack clarity in the scientific literature (3). Consequently, this systematic review aims to measure the effects of MBI on physical and physiological markers of CRF.

Method
The method of this systematic review was previously registered on PROSPERO CRD420251025324.This systematic review was realised in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (4). The search was performed in four databases (i.e., PubMed NCBI, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Science Direct). To be included, studies needed to assess CRF before and after a MBI. The methodological quality of the included studies will be evaluated with the revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias (RoB 2) and the quality of the evidence will be assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).
Four thousand studies were imported for screening and fifty full-text studies were assessed for eligibility. Finally, sixteen studies, with a total sample size of1005 participants met the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and five studies were uncontrolled.

Results
MBI seems to directly improve or stabilize CRF, in endurance athletes (e.g., running or rowing). MBI optimizes energy efficiency (less oxygen consumed for the same effort) and delays exhaustion during exercise. For patients with diseases, three studies reported significant increase in exercise tolerance and three reported no effect on respiratory symptoms or lung function.

Discussion
Although the population diversity (i.e., athletes, patients with diseases) can be seen as the main limitation, the results might suggest that MBI could have beneficial effects on CRF. MBI could be integrating with physical activity programs to increase CRF and thus performance and health of population. Future RCTs measuring the combined effects of MBI and physical activity programs need to be conducted to deeper understand the long-term effects of MBI on physical and/or physiological markers of CRF.
1.Anderson et al., 2021
2.Piasecki et al., 2025
3.Corbally et al., 2020
4.Page et al., 2021