Acquisition of novel ball-related skills associated with sports experience

Hirofumi Sekiguchi,Kimitaka Nakazawa,Genki Futatsubashi,Kentaro Yamanaka,Shigeki Takeuchi,Makoto Miyazaki,Hiroshi Kadota

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-91120-7

Abstract

Some individuals can quickly acquire novel motor skills, while others take longer. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between neurophysiological state, sports experience, and novel ball-related skill acquisition. We enrolled 28 healthy collegiate participants. The participants’ neurophysiological data (input–output curve of the corticospinal tract) were recorded through transcranial magnetic stimulation. Subsequently, the participants performed a novel motor task (unilateral two-ball juggling) on a different day, after which they reported their previous sports experience (types and years). We found that individuals with more years of experience in ball sports showed faster acquisition of novel ball-related skills. Further, this result was not limited to any single ball sport. Therefore, the acquisition of novel ball-related skills is associated with familiarity with a ball’s nature. Furthermore, gain of the corticospinal tract was negatively and positively correlated with the years of experience in primary ball and non-ball sports (implemented for the longest time in individuals), respectively. These results could be associated with the extent of proficiency in their primary sport. The chosen type of sports (e.g., ball or non-ball) could critically influence the future acquisition of novel motor skills. This study provides important insights regarding how to approach sports and physical activities.

Highlights

Some individuals can quickly acquire novel motor skills, while others take longer
The input–output properties of the corticospinal tract were recorded by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to obtain the neurophysiological state of the participants before training; the participants trained for 250 trials of two-ball juggling with the right hand on a separate day
Given that the motor task used in this study involved a ball, in addition to examining the overall sport, we considered non-ball and ball sports experiences separately

Summary

Introduction

Some individuals can quickly acquire novel motor skills, while others take longer. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between neurophysiological state, sports experience, and novel ball-related skill acquisition. Gain of the corticospinal tract was negatively and positively correlated with the years of experience in primary ball and non-ball sports (implemented for the longest time in individuals), respectively These results could be associated with the extent of proficiency in their primary sport. Fast learners are generally considered as “gifted” or “talented,” and their characteristics receive public interest This difference in motor skill acquisition between fast and slow learners could be attributed to individual differences, including differences in the previous sports experience. The more diverse the motor repertoire, the better the nervous system responds to the action being observed This is considered beneficial for motor control and acquiring new motor skills and underscores the importance of various sports experiences.

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Discussion

Conclusion