The talent in the “mind” of the endurance athlete. Use of the SFERA model to assess the mental preparation in cyclists

Abstract

In endurance sports such as cycling, the preparation and mental predisposition of the athlete are essential to overcome
and go beyond the fatigue and pain that are inalienable from the sport itself. Therefore, the mental component
is correlated not only with the performances during the competitions, but also with the ability to train at best.
Consequently, the mental component seems to be essential for the athlete’s talent, which suggests a strong correlation
between the two parameters. Recently, the SFERA mental training model is used in some endurance sports.
The observational study aims to assess whether in 30 non-professional cyclists (16-21 years) the factors of the
SFERA (i.e., synchronization, strengths, energy, rhythm and activation) are in balance. The psychological components
were evaluated by means of a specific questionnaire (SFERA-Q).
Differences were found among the several factors within the SFERA. The rhythm is the dominant factor, having the
highest values, while the synchronization and activation have the lowest values among the factors of the SFERA.
In conclusion, this study showed that, in young non-professional cyclists, there was no optimal mental condition
for achieving maximal performance, which makes us assume that a psychological preparation aimed at rebalancing
those factors can lead to an optimal mental state and, consequently, to better performances.