Internal versus external focus of attention on high-intensity exercise performance in judo athletes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to verify the effects of internal and external focus of attention, and a control condition on the performance, physiological and perceptive responses in a judo-specific all-out interval protocols. Fifteen male judo athletes participated in this study and performed two judo-specific protocols: maximal velocity anaerobic (MVAP) and high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE). The focus of attention instructions (internal and external) and control condition were randomized. Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and felling scale (FS) were monitored during all tests and conditions. The main results demonstrated that the number of repetitions in MVAP did not differ between conditions (p = 0.434). For the number of repetitions in the HIIE across sets there were no effects of condition (p = 0.847), but an effect of sets was found (p < 0.001). No effects of condition were found for HR (p = 0.776), FS ( p 0.8) and RPE (p = 0.307), but an effect of sets was revealed for HR (p < 0.001) and FS (p < 0.001). It can be concluded that the manipulation of focus of attention did not affect the number of repetitions, HR, RPE and FS responses during an all-out judo-specific protocol.