Effects of cognitive training strategies on muscular force and psychological skills in healthy striking combat sports practitioners

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of cognitive training strategies on muscular force in healthy combat sports practitioners. Additionally, moderator variable, particularly cognitive training strategies, as well as the potential mediators of self-efficacy and motivation were examined. Forty-four male combat sports practitioners (23.2 ± 3.1 years, 1.74 ± 0.09 m, and 73.4 ± 9.5 kg) participated in the present study. Participants were randomly assigned to three conditions: mental imagery (MI: n = 14), mental training package (MTP: n = 16: combined of motivational self-talk and imagery), or control condition (CG: n = 14: physical training). Thus, self-efficacy, motivation, muscular power in countermovement jump (CMJ) and medicine ball throw (MBT), and strength performance in bench press and half-squat tests were measured before and after 10 weeks of training in each condition. In addition, MTP, MI, and physical training groups performed three times per week (~90-min per session) in alternative days for 10 weeks (30 sessions in total). In fact, MTP had better muscular power (CMJ, p = 0.03; MBT, p < 0.001) and strength performance (bench press, p = 0.04; half-squat, p = 0.02) than physical training (CG). Furthermore, the MBT performance was higher in the MTP condition than in the MI (p = 0.04) after the training period. The results for motivation and self-efficacy were similar, with higher motivation and self-efficacy in MTP after the training period than in other conditions (all, p < 0.05). Significant relationships were identified between changes in motivation and changes in muscular force and between changes in self-efficacy and changes in muscular force (all, p < 0.05). Finally, the results obtained in the present study have confirmed the moderator role of cognitive training strategies. The findings also suggest that motivation and self-efficacy may have a mediator’s role, and provide direction for psyching-up effectiveness.