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
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin 09010, Türkiye
- 2Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat 60100, Türkiye
- 3Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Bingöl University, Bingöl 12000, Türkiye
- 4Independent Researcher, Kahramanmaraş 46600, Türkiye
- 5Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Tokat 60150, Türkiye
- 6Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University, Tokat 60100, Türkiye
- 7Department of Recreation, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul 34310, Türkiye
- 8Department of Sports Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Istanbul Topkapi University, Istanbul 34087, Türkiye
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.
Related
- Dietary inflammatory index in relation to metabolic health status, serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and adropin in Iranian adults
- Metabolic and neural responses to ultraprocessed foods: a randomized, controlled, crossover study.
- The role of sexual mindfulness in enhancing sexual well-being among breast cancer survivors : A randomized clinical trial
- Effects of mindfulness-based yoga and physical exercise on psychological well-being in individuals with visual impairment: a three-armed randomized controlled trial
- Mindfulness-based pain management for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain: a randomized controlled trial
BibTeX
@article{temel2026metabolic,
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}},
author = {Nisanur Canikli Temel and Mustafa Temel and İlimdar Yalçın and Fatma Yaşar and Göktürk Samet Kılıç and Burcu Kılıç and Sinan Demirci and Mehmet Bayansalduz},
journal = {Metabolites},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/metabo16110823},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/823},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - 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
AU - Nisanur Canikli Temel
AU - Mustafa Temel
AU - İlimdar Yalçın
AU - Fatma Yaşar
AU - Göktürk Samet Kılıç
AU - Burcu Kılıç
AU - Sinan Demirci
AU - Mehmet Bayansalduz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Metabolites
DO - 10.3390/metabo16110823
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/16/11/823
AB - 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.
SN - 2218-1989
ER -