From Monitoring to Action: A Longitudinal and Cross-Cultural Approach to Athletes’ Psychological Adaptation Throughout the Sports Season

This longitudinal and cross-sectional study aims to develop a comprehensive athlete monitoring approach to assess changes in the psychological state of athletes (aged 18–25) throughout the sports season, considering sport-specific demands and competition phases. By systematically tracking key psychological (sleep quality and risk of sleep disorders, perceived burnout, perceived social support, mental toughness, and sport-related anxiety) and psychophysiological indicators (reaction time, attention, stress resistance, heart rate variability, and biofeedback parameters) at critical time points (pre-season, mid-season and post-season), this study will identify seasonal fluctuations in stress, peak performance periods and mental fatigue. The findings will facilitate the early detection of mental fatigue and burnout risks, enabling the implementation of targeted intervention strategies to enhance athlete well-being, resilience and performance. Additionally, this study will examine how different sports (open-skill and closed-skill disciplines) influence psychological adaptation and resilience, providing data-driven insights to refine mental preparation strategies. Conducted in Latvia, Lithuania and Taiwan, the research will enable cross-cultural comparisons of athletes' mental states, training loads and psychological adaptation mechanisms, contributing to a broader understanding of psychological preparedness in diverse training environments. By integrating psychological assessments with psychophysiological indicators (biofeedback analysis, the Vienna Test System battery, HRV (heart rate variability) monitoring and qualitative interviews) the study will produce scientifically validated recommendations for coaches, athletes and sports professionals. This represents a significant innovation. The results will support the development of evidence-based psychological training protocols and resilience-building strategies, ensuring alignment with sport periodization principles.
This project will make a significant contribution to both sports science and applied practice, fostering international collaboration and sustainable knowledge exchange among researchers, coaches and sports organizations. By integrating wearable technology and smart monitoring systems (such as Garmin and Polar smartwatches) this international approach will generate new insights into the influence of cultural and methodological differences on athlete mental health and performance optimization. These insights will ultimately inform best practices in fostering psychological resilience and supporting sustainable, long-term athlete development.