Motivational self-talk improves time-trial swimming endurance performance in amateur triathletes

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of an instructional and a motivational self-talk intervention on swimming endurance performance in amateur triathletes. To this purpose, we designed a parallel two groups, randomised, longitudinal (pre- and post-test) study. During 12 days in all exercise-training sessions, the motivational self-talk (M-ST) group (n = 10) was asked to rehearse motivational sentences driving to improve effort to finish the swimming test (750 m) as fast as they could. The instructional self-talk (I-ST) group (n = 11) was asked to rehearse sentences driven to keep pace and movement fluency. The performance in the swimming test increased significantly only in the M-ST group from pre- to post-intervention (2.8%, ${\eta }_p^2=.55$). In addition, only the M-ST group increased significantly the swimming pace $({\eta }_p^2=.52)$, which was measured every 150 m, and maintained the same perception of effort level when comparing pre- and post-intervention. The M-ST group also increased significantly their outcome expectancy (6%, ${\eta }_p^2$= .34) from pre- to post-intervention, in which the variance of swimming performance was approximately 60% explained by the outcome expectancy (B = .656, SE = .086, p < .001, 95% CI [.482, .830]). Findings suggest that M-ST enhanced outcome expectancy, helping triathletes to improve endurance performance probably due to the higher level of potential motivation which mobilised more effort. Therefore, M-ST intervention has been probably effective to improve swimming endurance performance in amateur triathletes, whereas I-ST has maintained it.

KEYWORDS:

• Outcome expectancy
• rating of perceived exertion
• mood
• triathlon

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Coach Guilherme Manocchio for his support with the triathletes.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) Finance Code 001.