Interoceptive Awareness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Performance in Sport Sciences Students

Examining the Relationships Between Interoceptive Awareness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Performance Indicators: The Moderator Role of Gender and Sport Type

This cross-sectional observational study examined the relationships between interoceptive awareness, perceived stress, state and trait anxiety, sleep quality, and physical performance indicators in university-level sport sciences students. A total of 85 undergraduate students (54 males, 31 females; mean age = 20.65 ± 2.43 years) from the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Inonu University participated. Participants completed self-report measures (MAIA-2, PSS-10, STAI, PSQI) and a physical performance battery including handgrip strength, countermovement jump, sit-and-reach flexibility, and Y-Balance test. The study also investigated the moderator role of gender and sport type (team vs. individual) in these relationships, and tested the parallel mediating roles of perceived stress, trait anxiety, and sleep quality using PROCESS Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples.

Background: Interoceptive awareness - the perception, interpretation, and regulation of internal bodily signals - has emerged as a psychological resource relevant to sport performance and mental health. However, empirical evidence linking interoceptive awareness to objective physical performance outcomes in athletic populations remains limited, particularly regarding potential psychological mediators such as perceived stress, anxiety, and sleep quality.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to examine the direct and mediated relationships between interoceptive awareness and physical performance indicators in university sport sciences students. The secondary objectives were to investigate (a) the parallel mediating roles of perceived stress, trait anxiety, and sleep quality; and (b) the differences in study variables based on gender and sport type (team vs. individual).

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 85 undergraduate students (54 males, 31 females) enrolled at the Faculty of Sport Sciences, Inonu University. Data collection was conducted between May 11 and May 17, 2026. Psychological measures included the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-2), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Physical performance was assessed via handgrip strength (digital dynamometer), countermovement jump (My Jump 2 mobile application), sit-and-reach flexibility, and Y-Balance test (composite score). Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation, independent samples t-tests, hierarchical multiple regression, and parallel multiple mediation analysis (Hayes PROCESS Model 4; 5,000 bootstrap resamples).

Expected Outcomes: The study aims to clarify whether interoceptive awareness contributes to physical performance directly or indirectly through psychological mediators, and to determine whether such relationships are moderated by demographic and sport-related factors.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Enrollment as an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Sport Sciences, Inonu University
• Age 18 years or older
• Voluntary willingness to participate in the study
• Provision of written informed consent
• Absence of acute injury or illness on the day of measurement

Exclusion Criteria:

• Acute musculoskeletal injury or illness at the time of measurement
• Failure or refusal to provide written informed consent
• Incomplete data on primary study measures
• Any contraindication to physical performance testing