The Effect of the Transcendental Meditation
Programme on Athletic Performance
1. Full Citation
Reddy, M. K., Bai, A. J. L., & Rao, V. R. (1977). The Effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on Athletic Performance. In D. W. Orme-Johnson & J. T. Farrow (Eds.), Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program: Collected Papers (Vol. 1, pp. 346–358). The report describes work conducted in 1974.
Reference Information
Source: Scientific Research on the Transcendental Meditation Program: Collected Papers, Volume 1
Report year: 1977; study described as conducted in 1974
Study Code: P-01
DOI: None identified
Level of Evidence: Early comparative study
Peer Reviewed: No peer-reviewed journal publication identified
2. Research Question
In this early comparative study, were athletes practising Transcendental Meditation reported to differ from non-meditating athletes on selected physiological and athletic-performance measures?
3. Participants
About 50 Competitive athletes.
4. Method
Controlled comparative study involving competitive athletes practising Transcendental Meditation and athletes who did not meditate.
5. Key Findings
The archival report described favourable differences or changes in measures including:
- running speed, standing broad jump and agility
- reaction time and coordination
- selected cardiovascular and respiratory measures
These findings should be treated as historical and exploratory. The available bibliographic record does not substantiate the page’s previous claims about mental clarity, calmness before competition or consistency under competitive pressure.
6. Practical Implications
This archival report provides a reason to investigate whether Transcendental Meditation might be associated with selected physiological and performance measures in athletes.
It does not establish that TM improves competitive performance, calmness, resilience or mental clarity, nor does it demonstrate a nervous-system mechanism. Modern, independently replicated studies with transparent methods, prespecified outcomes and appropriate controls would be needed before drawing practical conclusions for athletes or coaches.
7. Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- An early attempt to compare athletes practising TM with non-meditating athletes.
- Considered several physiological and athletic-performance measures.
Limitations
- No peer-reviewed journal publication or DOI has been identified; the study appears in a TM research collection.
- The accessible archival summaries do not provide enough methodological detail to assess recruitment, group allocation, blinding, attrition or statistical analysis confidently.
- The sample was small and the work was conducted in the 1970s, before current reporting standards.
- Several outcomes were assessed, increasing the risk that favourable findings could arise by chance unless analyses were prespecified and adjusted appropriately.
- The findings should not be treated as proof of improved real-world competitive performance and require independent replication.