Music engagement, nutrition strategies, and psychological well-being in competitive athletes: a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study.

Competitive athletes routinely face psychological demands that intersect with daily behavioral practices, yet music engagement and nutrition strategies have rarely been examined together as correlates of athlete psychological well-being. This study investigated the cross-sectional associations of strategic music use and differentiated nutrition strategies with a psychological well-being and recovery-related mental state composite among competitive athletes, using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. Survey data were collected from 350 competitive athletes in Changsha, China, between February and May 2026, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 purposively selected participants. Measurement validity was evaluated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and associations were estimated using multiple regression and structural equation modeling while adjusting for demographic and training covariates. Music engagement was positively associated with the psychological well-being composite (β = 0.31, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.41, p < 0.001), and nutrition strategies showed a comparably stronger association (β = 0.39, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.49, p < 0.001). Qualitative interviews indicated that athletes used music intentionally for arousal regulation, focus, and emotional recovery, while hydration and meal regularity were perceived as more feasible than diet planning, which was constrained by travel, scheduling, and resource barriers. These findings suggest that strategic music use and consistent nutrition practices represent behavioral correlates of athlete-reported psychological functioning and may inform non-clinical, athlete-centered self-management approaches, though longitudinal and intervention research is needed to evaluate directionality and causal mechanisms.