Taking the First Steps Toward Integrating Testing and Training Cognitive Abilities Within High-Performance Athletes; Insights From a Professional German Football Club

Beavan, Adam; Spielmann, Jan; Mayer, Jan

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02773

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Therefore, future studies should compare different expertise groups and potentially also different age groups (cf. Beavan et al, 2019 ; Musculus et al, 2019 ) to infer the relevance of soccer-specific cognitive functions on the route to expertise in soccer. In particular, comparing players of different ages and expertise levels can help clarify which sport-specific cognitive functions are either developing or are indeed expertise related (see e.g., Beavan et al, 2020a ; Heilmann et al, 2022b ; Turner et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Assist for Cognitive Diagnostics in Soccer: Two Valid Tasks Measuring Inhibition and Cognitive Flexibility in a Soccer-Specific Setting With a Soccer-Specific Motor Response

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In professional soccer, players, coaches, and researchers alike recognize the importance of cognitive skills. Research addressing the relevance of cognitive skills has been based on the cognitive component skills approach (i.e., general cognitive processes) or the expert performance approach (i.e., sport-specific cognitive processes). Our project aimed to combine the strengths of both approaches to develop and validate cognitive tasks measuring inhibition and cognitive flexibility in a soccer-specific setting with a soccer-specific motor response. In the main study 77 elite youth soccer players completed a computerized version of the standard flanker and number–letter tasks as well as flanker and number–letter tasks requiring a soccer-specific motor response (i.e., pass) in a soccer-specific setting (i.e., the SoccerBot360). Results show good reliability for both tasks. For the SoccerBot360 number–letter task, switch effects for response times and accuracy and acceptable convergent validity were shown. A flanker effect for response time but not accuracy was apparent. Due to no acceptable convergent validity, the flanker task was revised (i.e., adaptation of stimuli) and 63 adult soccer players participated in a follow-up validation study in the SoccerBot100. The revised flanker task showed the flanker effect for response time, but not for accuracy. However, acceptable convergent validity for response time was present. Thus, the soccer-specific number–letter and to some extent the soccer-specific flanker task show potential to be used as a valid cognitive diagnostic tool by soccer clubs.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Assist for Cognitive Diagnostics in Soccer: Two Valid Tasks Measuring Inhibition and Cognitive Flexibility in a Soccer-Specific Setting With a Soccer-Specific Motor Response

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As a result of logical reasoning in boardrooms across the globe, there have been massive investments from sporting organisations worldwide into cognitive testing and development as the new frontier of talent identification and development 14 . The premise is here that footballers with better executive functions will perform better on the field, whether players were selected for their executive functions (cognitive assessments) or whether they were developed in-house (cognitive development).…”

Section: Developing Executive Functions For Football Expertisementioning

confidence: 99%

There is no evidence for a far transfer of cognitive training to sport performance

Fransen¹

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this short opinion piece I first introduce the concepts of near and far transfer, as described in the psychological literature. I then use a second-order meta-analysis on cognitive training to evidence that near transfer may be common and relatively easy to achieve, yet achieving far transfer is far less straightforward. Nonetheless, many technologies, tools and methods make larger-than-life claims of encouraging far transfer from cognitive or perceptual-cognitive training to sports performance. In this opinion piece I argument, using evidence from research studies on stroboscopic vision, neurofeedback training and the measurement and development of executive functions, that the claims made for the beneficial effects of these training methods on sports performance, esports performance and football expertise are likely exaggerated. I conclude by reiterating that these claims of far transfer are not substantiated in the scientific literature, and much greater scrutiny of these claims by researchers is needed in order to assist practitioners to make better-informed decisions about tools, methods and technologies that may aid sports performance.

show abstract

“…Consequently, increased interest exists in successful forms of EF training that lead to improved athletic performance on the field, and there is a need for more research on this topic (13). Studies demonstrated that physical exercising, especially aerobic exercise, has positive effects on EF (14)(15)(16)(17).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of an exergame intervention on cognitive-motor functions and training experience in young team sports athletes: a non-randomized controlled trial

Martin-Niedecken,

Bucher,

Adcock

et al. 2023

Front. Sports Act. Living

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionTeam sports athletes need excellent perceptual-cognitive skills, particularly executive functions (EF) to strategically perform on the field. The transfer effect of cognitive training might be accomplished by the inclusion of cognitive stimuli into a physically active environment as these couplings are required in real game situations. A training approach that combines both components is exergaming. The primary objective of this study was to gain preliminary insights into the effects of exergaming on cognitive-motor functions in young team sports athletes. The secondary objective was to investigate participants' training experience and well-being over time.MethodsParticipants were assigned to the intervention or control group. In the intervention group, participants trained with the ExerCube—a mixed reality exergame. The training was planned for 10 weeks (two sessions per week à 25 min) but had to be shortened by 2 weeks due to COVID-19 restrictions. The control group had no additional training. Outcomes included a computer-based alertness test and a cognitive-motor test battery to assess different EF (flexibility, divided attention, and inhibition) via a FitLight Trainer setup.ResultsTwenty-four athletes [mean age (±SD) 15.0 ± 0.7 years], evenly split into the intervention group (N = 12; male N = 6; female N = 6; 14.7 ± 0.5 years) and the control group (N = 12; male N = 7; female N = 5; 15.3 ± 0.8 years), participated in the study. Participants in the intervention group performed on average 9.4 ± 3.3 training sessions over 8 weeks. Significant time x group interaction effects were evident for the cognitive-motor sub-tests flexibility (F = 12.176, p < 0.001, d = 1.488) and divided attention for auditive stimuli (F = 9.776, p = 0.002, d = 1.404) in favour of the intervention group. For the alertness test, a medium effect size (time x group interaction) was seen for the variability of the reaction time (F = 2.196, p = 0.138, d = 0.632) in favour of the intervention group. Training experience and well-being were consistently at medium to high levels.ConclusionThe ExerCube training yielded positive effects on concentration, flexibility, and divided attention indicating that exergaming can be an innovative training approach for team sports athletes.

show abstract

Taking the First Steps Toward Integrating Testing and Training Cognitive Abilities Within High-Performance Athletes; Insights From a Professional German Football Club

Cited by 10 publications

References 26 publications

An Assist for Cognitive Diagnostics in Soccer: Two Valid Tasks Measuring Inhibition and Cognitive Flexibility in a Soccer-Specific Setting With a Soccer-Specific Motor Response

An Assist for Cognitive Diagnostics in Soccer: Two Valid Tasks Measuring Inhibition and Cognitive Flexibility in a Soccer-Specific Setting With a Soccer-Specific Motor Response

There is no evidence for a far transfer of cognitive training to sport performance

Impact of an exergame intervention on cognitive-motor functions and training experience in young team sports athletes: a non-randomized controlled trial

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About