There are no studies like that since there is no such thing as placebo meditation.
Meditation, in general, for the usual western mind, can be seen as mental hygiene.
I could guess you never read a study about the benefits of oral hygiene but you probably never doubt its benefits - because of culture (parents/school).
"Our" culture is very advance in many "sciences" but is a child in others.
Give it some decades - your grandchildren will teach their children about meditation, in the same manner any parent, nowadays, teach their kids to brush their teeth before bed.
Answering your question, even though I don't know (and care) about peer-reviewed studies about this, I can tell you that mindfulness has many benefits (verified by myself) and I've experienced most benefits given by the first link of [vanderZwan] reply.
By the way, one can reach a state of "being in the zone" with much more ease (which is a requirement to excel at any sports):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
Meditation, in general, for the usual western mind, can be seen as mental hygiene.
I could guess you never read a study about the benefits of oral hygiene but you probably never doubt its benefits - because of culture (parents/school). "Our" culture is very advance in many "sciences" but is a child in others.
Give it some decades - your grandchildren will teach their children about meditation, in the same manner any parent, nowadays, teach their kids to brush their teeth before bed.
Answering your question, even though I don't know (and care) about peer-reviewed studies about this, I can tell you that mindfulness has many benefits (verified by myself) and I've experienced most benefits given by the first link of [vanderZwan] reply.
By the way, one can reach a state of "being in the zone" with much more ease (which is a requirement to excel at any sports): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)