Abstract
The prior exertion of self‐control has previously been shown to negatively affect physical performance, yet the effects on complex sporting skill performance have not been examined. Therefore, this study examined whether prior self‐control exertion influences performance on a field hockey task, alongside measuring plasma cortisol concentration and attention as potential mechanisms to explain any effects.Following familiarization, 13 male hockey players (20 ± 1 years) participated in a randomized, order‐balanced, crossover design. For the manipulation of self‐control, participants completed an incongruent (self‐control exertion trial) or a congruent (control trial) Stroop task. Skill performance was assessed using a field hockey skills task. Capillary blood samples, for the determination of plasma cortisol concentration, were taken at baseline, post‐Stroop task, and post‐field hockey skills task. Cognitive tests of attention (RVIP and Flanker tasks) were completed following the field hockey skills task.Participants made more errors in the latter stages of the field hockey skills task following self‐control exertion (trial*time interaction, p = 0.041). Participants also made more errors on the RVIP task following self‐control exertion (p = 0.035); yet the time taken to complete the hockey skills task, performance on the flanker task, and plasma cortisol concentrations were unaffected (all p > 0.05).Overall, these findings suggest that prior self‐control exertion has detrimental effects on subsequent sporting skill performance (more errors made on the field hockey task), which may be explained by poorer sustained attention (lower accuracy on the RVIP task). This suggests that athletes should aim to avoid self‐control exertion before a competitive match to optimize performance.
Highlights
Self-control refers to abilities that enable individuals to exert control over their behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and to pursue their goals[1]; and is a fundamental feature of executive function, including the sub-domains of inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.2-4 High levels of trait self-control are believed to be important for physical activity behavior[5] and areScand J Med Sci Sports. 2021;00:1–10. | wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/sms 1|2 associated with a stronger relationship between physical activity intentions and behaviors.[4]
The findings of the present study provide novel evidence that following self-control exertion participants made more errors on the field hockey task; these errors were made toward the end of the task
There was no effect of self-c ontrol exertion on overall performance time and decision-m aking on the field hockey task
Summary
. |2 associated with a stronger relationship between physical activity intentions and behaviors.[4] Self-control has been viewed as a specific form of self-regulation, in which an individual exerts deliberate and conscious effort to control the self, whereas self-regulation is considered a global term that encapsulates automatic and nonconscious regulatory processes.[1] self-c ontrol is linked to many positive behavioral outcomes,[6] including sport and exercise performance.[7] For instance, individuals are required to successfully perform complex, sport-specific, skill-based tasks (eg, in sports such as basketball, soccer, and hockey), which necessitates the control of one's emotional, cognitive, and motor processes.[8]. As a result of theoretical criticisms, other researchers have postulated the shifting priorities model; suggesting that following the exertion of self-control individuals experience shifts in motivation and attention that undermine performance on subsequent tasks that require self-control.[14,15]
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