Current Interventions in Sport: A Bibliometric Analysis of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (MSPE & MMTS)

Abstract This study aims to examine, from a bibliometric perspective, the current trends, conceptual development, and research networks of research on Mindful Sports Performance Enhancement (MSPE) and Mindful Meditation Training for Sport (MMTS) interventions in the context of performance, mindfulness, and athlete. Data were obtained from the Web of Science database on October 24, 2025. The search strategy involved accessing studies between 2004 and 2025 using the keywords “MSPE” OR “mindful sport performance enhancement” OR “MMTS” OR “MMTS 2.0” OR “mindfulness meditation training for sport” OR “mindfulness meditation training for sport 2.0” AND “sport*” OR “athletic performance” OR “athlete*” AND “meditation” OR “mindfulness”. The results show a significant increase in publications after 2015 and a growing academic interest in MSPE and MMTS interventions. Trends in author keywords and word cloud analyses revealed that the keywords “meditation,” “flow,” “anxiety,” and “performance enhancement” occupied central positions, indicating that research themes primarily focused on meditation-based mechanisms, anxiety and emotion regulation, psychological well-being, and performance enhancement. Citation analyses showed that the United States led in total citations and single-country publications, while China played a significant role in international collaborations. According to Bradford Law analysis, the “Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology” and “Frontiers in Psychology” formed the core region. Author-based metrics showed that Glass C. R. was the most prolific author, while Glass J. R., Kaufman K. A., and Arnkoff D. B. were the most cited authors. Institutional collaboration networks showed limited but consistent bilateral partnerships, with Catholic University occupying a central position in the collaborative structure. These findings indicate that MSPE and MMTS constitute a growing and increasingly structured research area, with expanding scholarly attention, consolidated thematic patterns, and emerging international collaboration networks. Key Words: Bibliometric analysis, Interventions, Performance, Sport psychology