Grimberg, M. (2013). Der Einsatz der wingwave-Methode zur Steigerung der objektiven Leistung und Verbesserung des subjektiven Wohlbefindens beim 5.000m-Lauf. [The use of wingwave method to increase the objective performance and improve the subjective well-being in the 5000 meter run.] Bachelor’s thesis 

Within the scope of her bachelor’s thesis, Maria Grimberg examined in the following study whether wingwave can increase the performance of athletes who complete a 5000 meter run (Grimberg, 2013).

Furthermore, it had to be examined whether wingwave can help in improving the subjective well-being of the athletes in the race. The aim of the wingwave intervention was to identify and neutralize individual stressors of the respective subjects with regard to the run. Moreover, it was already established by the previous studies that, in particular, the emotion of happiness exerts a performance-enhancing effect. Therefore, it was also an objective of the wingwave intervention to implement the emotion of happiness with regard to the motion of running.

24 test subject aged between 20 and 55 years (average age = 24.2 years) took part in this study. On the first date of measurement, all the participants individually completed a 5000 meter run and the time, which they needed to cover this distance, was noted. Before the run, each participant filled out the questionnaire on the Perceived Physical State (PEPS) by Kleinert (2006). Subsequent to the run, the subjects filled out another self-designed questionnaire, which measured the subjective well-being and the subjective degree of effort during the run (retrospectively observed) and after the run.

A week later half of the test subjects, who were in the experimental group, were given a one-time wingwave intervention of one and half hours, whereas the subjects in the control group were given no intervention. The aim of the wingwave Coaching was to identify individual stressors in each of the subject with regard to the run, and to coach them using the wingwave method. Furthermore, the objective was to increase the joy of motion of the subject. This is where the special wingwave intervention “interweave resources” was used, whereby running was connected to the emotion of “happiness” in the subjective experience of the runners. This intervention is presented in detail in Chapter 7. 

The twelve participants of the experimental group were divided among a total of seven trained wingwave Coaches. Another week later, the “coached” experimental group completed another 5000 meter run. In this case again, the times were noted following the run, and the same questionnaire was filled out before and after the run as was done on the date of the 1st measurement.

Results

Time during the 5000 meter run. First of all, the results demonstrated that the average running duration of the entire group was significantly lower on the date of the 2nd measurement as compared to the date of the 1st measurement, which can be explained by a training effect. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction effect, which means that the experimental group (wingwave) was able to enhance its running performance significantly better during the second date of measurement than the control group. Both the groups performed homogeneously on the date of the 1st measurement. On the date of the second measurement, the control group was able to enhance its performance by an average of five seconds, whereas the wingwave Group was able to improve by an average of 62 seconds.