Mental, technical, and physical fitness in sports performance: an integrative systematic literature review of their relative and interactive contributions
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Published: September 13, 2026
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Page: 1667-1683
Abstract
This systematic review analyzed 50 studies from the Scopus database to determine the relative contributions of psychological, technical, and physical determinants to competitive sports performance, examining how these relationships vary across sport types, competitive levels, age, and sex. Utilizing a narrative synthesis approach in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review found that no single domain universally dominates; rather, performance relies on an integrated, context-dependent model. Specifically, physical fitness attributes proved most prominent in team and endurance sports, technical proficiency acted as a key mediator in open-skill and precision disciplines, and psychological constructs demonstrated the highest explanatory power in high-pressure, elite individual contexts. However, the validity and generalizability of these findings are constrained by several methodological limitations identified within the literature. These include a predominance of cross-sectional designs that limit causal inference, high outcome measurement heterogeneity that precluded meta-analytic synthesis, single-reviewer screening risks, and a notable demographic bias favoring male, adult, able-bodied team-sport samples over female, youth, and Para-sport populations. To advance the field, future investigations must prioritize longitudinal, multi-domain tracking designs using standardized measurement batteries and actively incorporate underrepresented athletic populations.
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