**Background:** Athletes in sports with multiple competition bouts face both physical and mental demands that can lead to acute mental fatigue, defined as a psychobiological state caused by demanding cognitive activity. Mental fatigue impairs executive functions, attention, and decision-making, which is particularly relevant in precision sports like air rifle shooting where sustained concentration is critical. Mental recovery strategies such as powernapping and systematic breathing have been proposed as countermeasures, but evidence in applied sport settings is limited. This study aimed to assess the perception and change of mental and physical fatigue across simulated competition days and examine acute effects of mental recovery strategies in air rifle athletes.
**Methods:** A randomized counterbalanced crossover study was conducted with 22 development air rifle athletes (13 female, 9 male; mean age 17.77 ± 4.0 years; mean height 172.2 ± 7.5 cm; mean weight 66.2 ± 9.1 kg; mean training 5.64 h ± 1.81 per week) from a regional squad of national performance level. On three separate test days, athletes completed two consecutive simulated ISSF air rifle competitions (60 shots within 75 min each) separated by a 75-minute recovery break. During the recovery break, participants underwent one of two mental recovery interventions (powernap [PN] for 20 min, systematic breathing [SB] with exhalation twice as long as inhalation) or a control condition [CC] (reading magazines). The Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS), 100-mm Visual Analogue Scales for mental fatigue, physical fatigue, concentration, and motivation, and differential Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were assessed at four measurement points: pre-competition 1 (T1), post-competition 1 (T2), pre-competition 2 (T3), and post-competition 2 (T4). Total shooting scores were recorded electronically. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analysis.
**Key Results:** Both mental fatigue and physical fatigue significantly increased during competition #1 (mental fatigue: z = −4.59, p < .001, r = .61; physical fatigue: z = −4.38, p < .001, r = .58) and competition #2 (mental fatigue: z = −3.93, p < .001, r = .52; physical fatigue: z = −4.63, p < .001, r = .62). The shared variance between changes in mental and physical fatigue was 7.9% for competition #1 (r = .28, p < .05) and 18.6% for competition #2 (r = .43, p < .01). Mean total shooting scores were: PN (#1 = 607.6 ± 8.23, #2 = 607.7 ± 9.28), SB (#1 = 604.5 ± 10.39, #2 = 607.1 ± 10.04), and CC (#1 = 604.7 ± 8.09, #2 = 603.9 ± 10.34). No significant group-based acute effects of mental recovery strategies on shooting performance were found (p > .05). However, individual-level analysis showed statistically relevant improvements in shooting performance after powernap or systematic breathing. A significant increase in Overall Recovery was found when systematic breathing was applied (increase of 1.33, p < .05, 95% CI [0.16, 2.49]). No other significant effects of intervention groups or interactions on SRSS scores, fatigue states, concentration, motivation, or RPE scores were observed. The manipulation check showed higher efficacy ratings for PN (4.59 ± 1.42) and SB (4.68 ± 0.82) compared to CC (3.05 ± 1.43), and higher appreciation for PN (4.88 ± 1.45) and SB (4.79 ± 0.98) versus CC (2.35 ± 1.50).
**Clinical Implications:** This study demonstrates that mental and physical fatigue increase and accumulate across repeated competition bouts in air rifle shooting, with mental fatigue emerging as a largely separate construct from physical fatigue. The findings suggest that while group-level effects of powernap and systematic breathing were not significant, individual athletes may benefit from personalized mental recovery strategies. The results highlight the importance of incorporating structured mental breaks between competition bouts to manage fatigue states. Future research should include larger samples, elite athletes, familiarization sessions for recovery strategies, and real competition settings to further validate these findings. The study supports the concept of recovery self-regulation, where athletes actively manage their recovery-stress states to maintain performance readiness.