Abstract
Despite the known positive effects of acute exercise on cognition, the effects of a competitive team sport match are unknown. In a randomized crossover design, 20 female and 17 male field hockey players (19.7 ± 1.2 years) completed a battery of cognitive tests (Visual Search, Stroop, Corsi Blocks, and Rapid Visual Information Processing) prior to, at half-time, and immediately following a competitive match (or control trial of seated rest); with effect sizes (ES) presented as raw ES from mixed effect models. Blood samples were collected prior to and following the match and control trial, and analyzed for adrenaline, noradrenaline, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cathepsin B, and cortisol. The match improved response times for a simple perception task at full-time (ES = –14 ms; P < 0.01) and response times on the complex executive function task improved at half-time (ES = –44 ms; P < 0.01). Working memory declined at full-time on the match (ES = –0.6 blocks; P < 0.01). The change in working memory was negatively correlated with increases in cortisol (r = –0.314, P = 0.01; medium), as was the change in simple perception response time and the change in noradrenaline concentration (r = –0.284, P = 0.01; small to medium). This study is the first to highlight the effects a competitive hockey match can have on cognition. These findings have implications for performance optimization, as understanding the influence on specific cognitive domains across a match allows for the investigation into strategies to improve these aspects.
Highlights
In open skill sports such as field hockey, skill is determined by a player’s ability to adapt and perform a specific action despite the environmental constraints imposed upon them by calling upon neural resources from changeable regions of the brain (Allard and Burnett, 1987; Starkes, 1987; Williams and Jackson, 2019; Morris-Binelli et al, 2020)
Rapid Visual Information Processing There was no effect of the hockey match on response times or accuracy on the rapid visual information processing (RVIP) test at full-time
At half-time, whilst response times were not affected, there was a tendency for accuracy to be greater on the control trial [main effect of trial, z(1,10,654) = 1.8, P = 0.07] and accuracy was greater at half-time compared to baseline [main effect of time, z(3,10,654) = 3.4, P < 0.01]
Summary
In open skill sports such as field hockey, skill is determined by a player’s ability to adapt and perform a specific action despite the environmental constraints imposed upon them by calling upon neural resources from changeable regions of the brain (Allard and Burnett, 1987; Starkes, 1987; Williams and Jackson, 2019; Morris-Binelli et al, 2020). With the recently adapted rules, field hockey has become one of the most fast paced team sports, the ability to anticipate, adapt and respond successfully relies on superior perceptual-cognitive factors (Morris-Binelli et al, 2020). Williams and Jackson (2019) highlight the many different perceptual cognitive skills that contribute to team sports performance, including the ability to scan, using visual processes, in a more efficient manner in order to extract relevant cues. These authors emphasize that understanding the influence of a match on specific perceptual cognitive skills would significantly enhance team performance. Athletes who can anticipate necessary responses successfully, overcoming the spatio-temporal constraints, are likely to be superior team sports athletes (Williams and Jackson, 2019)
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