{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T04:31:05Z","timestamp":1786336265594,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"\n Introduction<\/jats:title>\n Mental preparation strategies are widely used in youth sport to enhance both psychological and motor performance; however, the combined effects of progressive muscle relaxation and mental imagery on self-determined motivation and dynamic postural control remain insufficiently explored. This study investigated the effects of an 8-week mental preparation program combining Jacobson\u2019s progressive muscle relaxation and mental imagery in cadet female handball players.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n \n A quasi-experimental pretest-post-test design with two parallel groups was employed. Thirty-six cadet female handball players were allocated to an experimental group (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 18) and a control group (\n n<\/jats:italic>\n = 18). Self-determined motivation was assessed using the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS-28), and dynamic postural control was evaluated using the Lower Quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT-LQ) before and after the intervention. The experimental group completed three weekly mental preparation sessions in addition to their regular handball training, whereas the control group continued their usual training program.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Significant improvements in YBT-LQ performance were observed over time in both groups, with greater gains in the experimental group (Time \u00d7 Group interaction:\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.001,\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.37, 95% CI [0.13, 0.57]). Significant Time \u00d7 Group interactions were also found for intrinsic motivation toward accomplishment (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.001,\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.41, 95% CI [0.16, 0.60]), intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.001,\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.35, 95% CI [0.11, 0.55]), intrinsic motivation to know (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.043,\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.12, 95% CI [0.00, 0.33]), identified regulation (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.001,\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.31, 95% CI [0.08, 0.51]), and external regulation (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n &lt; 0.001,\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.55, 95% CI [0.31, 0.70]). The interaction for introjected regulation was small (\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.02) and did not remain significant after correction. Amotivation decreased over time in both groups without a significant Time \u00d7Group interaction (\n p<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.097,\n \n \n \n \u03b7<\/mml:mi>\n \n p<\/mml:mtext>\n <\/mml:mrow>\n 2<\/mml:mn>\n <\/mml:msubsup>\n <\/mml:math>\n <\/jats:inline-formula>\n = 0.079, 95% CI [0.00, 0.25]).\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Discussion<\/jats:title>\n An 8-week mental preparation program combining progressive muscle relaxation and mental imagery improved dynamic postural control and promoted more autonomous motivational regulation in cadet female handball players. These findings support the integration of structured mental preparation strategies into youth handball training programs to enhance both psychological and motor performance.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1902591","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]],"date-time":"2026-08-10T04:23:07Z","timestamp":1786335787000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Effects of an 8-week mental preparation program combining progressive muscle relaxation and mental imagery on self-determined motivation and dynamic postural control in youth female handball players: an experimental study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Imen","family":"Saket","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Manouba, Tunisia"]},{"name":"Research Laboratory \u201cSport Performance, Health and Society (LR23JS01)\u201d Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Tunis, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiraz","family":"Goumni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Manouba, Tunisia"]},{"name":"Research Laboratory \u201cSport Performance, Health and Society (LR23JS01)\u201d Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Tunis, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Achraf","family":"Hammami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Manouba, Tunisia"]},{"name":"Tunisian Research Laboratory \u2018Sports Performance Optimization\u2019 (CNMSS-LR09SEP01), National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS)","place":["Tunis, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adel","family":"Driss","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Morehouse School of Medicine","place":["Atlanta, GA, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raouf","family":"Hammami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Manouba, Tunisia"]},{"name":"Research Laboratory \u201cSport Performance, Health and Society (LR23JS01)\u201d Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Tunis, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Imen Ben","family":"Amar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Manouba, Tunisia"]},{"name":"Research Laboratory \u201cSport Performance, Health and Society (LR23JS01)\u201d Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar-Said, University of Manouba","place":["Tunis, Tunisia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.3390\/youth5030098","article-title":"Self-determination theory-based interventions to promote physical activity and sport in adolescents: A scoping review.","volume":"5","author":"Barbosa Cano","year":"2025","journal-title":"Youth"},{"key":"B2","first-page":"465","article-title":"D\u00e9veloppement et validation d\u2019une mesure de motivation intrins\u00e8que, extrins\u00e8que et d\u2019amotivation en contexte sportif : l\u2019\u00c9chelle de Motivation dans les Sports (\u00c9MS).","volume":"26","author":"Bri\u00e8re","year":"1995","journal-title":"Int. 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