{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives: Prolonged cognitive load, including short-form social-media use, may influence soccer-specific performance, yet the perceptual, metabolic, endocrine and neurotrophic effects of brief post-fatigue strategies such as music and mindfulness remain unclear. This study compared 15 min music, 15 min mindfulness (body scan) and time-matched control after a 45 min short-form social-media mental-fatigue exposure. Methods: Sixteen trained male soccer players completed a randomized, counterbalanced, repeated-measures crossover trial. Each session comprised the exposure, condition, a standardized warm-up and a 4v4 small-sided game (SSG). Venous blood was obtained pre-protocol (T1) and approximately 5 min post-SSG (T2) for serum lactate, cortisol and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Perceptual and technical-performance outcomes were also analysed using linear mixed-effects models. Results: Post-condition mental-effort scores differed by condition (F(2,30) = 12.117, p < 0.001) and were lower in music and mindfulness than in control in a time-point-specific model, although baseline mental effort also differed between conditions; perceived mental fatigue, post-SSG exertion and enjoyment did not differ. Condition effects emerged for successful passes (p = 0.020), ball recoveries (p = 0.010) and ball losses (p = 0.018), all highest during mindfulness; pass success percentage, shot outcomes and net ball recovery were unchanged. Overall lactate (p = 0.013) and cortisol (p = 0.047) differed between selected conditions when averaged across sampling times, possibly reflecting pre-existing differences, but BDNF did not differ (p = 0.559), and no time effects or condition × time interactions were observed. Conclusions: In this sample of 16 trained male Tier 2 players, effects were selective rather than global. Music and mindfulness were associated with lower post-condition mental effort, and mindfulness with greater ball involvement rather than improved technical efficiency, without evidence of differential pre-to-post biochemical responses; neither uniformly enhanced soccer-specific performance. Because the mental-fatigue induction was not statistically confirmed and multiple outcomes were tested, these acute findings are exploratory and associational.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin 09010, Türkiye",
    "Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat 60100, Türkiye",
    "Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Bingöl University, Bingöl 12000, Türkiye",
    "Independent Researcher, Kahramanmaraş 46600, Türkiye",
    "Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat 60150, Türkiye",
    "Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat 60100, Türkiye",
    "Department of Recreation, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul 34310, Türkiye",
    "Department of Sports Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Istanbul Topkapi University, Istanbul 34087, Türkiye"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nisanur Canikli Temel"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mustafa Temel",
      "orcid": "0009-0001-3739-2090"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "İlimdar Yalçın",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8431-6835"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Fatma Yaşar"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Göktürk Samet Kılıç",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-9641-6586"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Burcu Kılıç",
      "orcid": "0009-0009-7452-4812"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Sinan Demirci",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6061-4325"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Mehmet Bayansalduz",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0879-4151"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2y0fcrs91dfk6.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/metabo16110823",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2y0fcrs91dfk6",
  "issns": [
    "2218-1989"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/823",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2732|Sports Performance and Training"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224091866",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-28",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2y0fcrs91dfk6.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/metabo16110823",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/823"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2732|Sports Performance and Training",
      "subfield": "surgery"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Metabolic, Endocrine, and Neurotrophic Responses to a 4v4 Small-Sided Game Following Brief Music or Mindfulness After a Mental-Fatigue Exposure: A Randomized Crossover Trial",
  "title_text": "Metabolic, Endocrine, and Neurotrophic Responses to a 4v4 Small-Sided Game Following Brief Music or Mindfulness After a Mental-Fatigue Exposure: A Randomized Crossover Trial",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2y0fcrs91dfk6",
  "venue": "Metabolites",
  "versions": []
}