The mediating role of mental fatigue in the relationship between recovery and performance satisfaction among high level ice hockey players. 

Résumé En

Recovery is pivotal for professional athletes to maintain a high levels of performance. During a regular season, elite athletes have an intensives chedule including training and competitions. For example, in the best ice hockey league in France, players must participate in approximately 80 games and up to 200 trainings sessions. In this specific context, athletes can experience both cognitive and emotional fatigue (Balk et al., 2020), which can be combined and referred to as the mental dimension. This fatigue can have a negative impact on performance (Van Cutsem et al., 2017 ; Diaz-Garcia et al., 2021). Thus, the prevention and management of mental fatigue is particularly important. Various strategies are commonly used by athletes, among which psychological detachment (Balk, de Jonge et al., 2019). and optimal sleep, which is a fundamental recovery strategy (Balk, de Jonge, et al., 2019 ; Dickinson & Hanrahan, 2009     The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between sleep, mental detachment, and performance satisfaction in high level ice hockey players. In addition, this study investigated the mediating effect of mental fatigue on these relationships.  During seven days, thirty-eight French ice hockey players completed daily questionnaires on their sleep quality, mental fatigue, psychological detachment, and performance satisfaction. Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling revealed that psychological detachment was significatively and negatively related to performance satisfaction (b= -.200, p=.002). Results also revealed a significant moderating effect on the relationship between sleep quality and performance satisfaction (total effect: b=-.238, p=.001; indirect effect: b=.085, p=.038).   These results highlight the complex dynamics of recovery and performance satisfaction among professional athletes by demonstrating the mediating effect of mental fatigue. These findings have practical implications for athlete training and recovery strategies and emphasize the importance of managing mental fatigue through adequate sleep and psychological detachment.