Athletic identity and autonomous motivation as predictors of endurance performance during high intensity exercise

Purpose: The aims of the present study were a) to develop and test a within-person experimental manipulation of athletic identity salience and autonomous motivation in endurance contexts, and b) to examine whether athletic identity or autonomous motivation better predicted endurance performance via the desire to reduce effort and the value of the performance goal.

Methods: Thirty-seven participants (24 males, 13 females, 20–27 years old) from a sports background completed a brief performance profile activity to identify and evaluate personal characteristics that would help during an endurance task (experimental condition) or described how they maintained close relationships (control condition). After completing measures of athletic identity and autonomous motivation, participants then completed an incrementally difficult cycling test until voluntary termination. The intensity of the test increased every 150 s, with measures of desire to reduce effort and performance goal value taken during each stage.

Results: Multilevel modelling revealed that the experimental manipulation enhanced the salience of athletic identity (b = 05, p = .005), but did not change autonomous motivation (b = .05, p = .21). However, differences in endurance performance were explained by within-person changes in autonomous motivation (b = 31.02, p <.001), but not athletic identity (b = − 5.34, p = .58). This direct effect was partially mediated by smaller decreases in the value of the performance goal (z = 3.45, p < .001).

Conclusion: A modified performance profile is useful to experimentally manipulate the salience of athletic identity in endurance contexts. Autonomous motivation enhances endurance performance by minimising reductions in the motivational value of the performance goal.