What the study found
Faster trials were associated with more positive feelings and higher power over most of the ride, despite similar perceived exertion. The direction of causation remained uncertain.
Participants and protocol
Eight trained cyclists completed two 20-kilometre time trials with repeated measurements of power, affect, confidence, muscle activity and exertion.
What this cannot establish
The study does not prove that positive thinking causes faster performance. Feelings could reflect physiological state as well as influence pacing; the sample was very small.
Publication details
- Record
- PubMed 22173069
- Indexed subjects
- Muscle, Skeletal · Lactic Acid · Exercise Test · Electromyography · Analysis of Variance
- Source record checked
- 2026-10-18
Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.
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Performance Science Lab
Research summaries for endurance athletes, with study context, practical protocols, and clear limitations.
Open guidePacing performance research
Pacing is applied physiology: the best plan fails if you spend your budget early.
Open guideTime-trial performance research for endurance athletes
Practical performance outcome used in many studies: closer to racing than lab-only metrics.
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