The effect of exercise on cognitive performance in soccer-specific tests

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out to examine the effect of moderate and maximal exercise on the cognitive performance of experienced soccer players. Experiment 1 examined the speed and visual search in familiar (game) and unfamiliar (non-game) contexts. Participants had to detect, as quickly as possible, the presence or absence of a ball in tachistoscopically presented slides. Participants were tested at rest and while exercising at 70 and 100% maximum power output. A main effect of exercise intensity was demonstrated and Tukey post-hoc tests showed that performance during maximal exercise was significantly better than in the other two conditions. We concluded that exercise significantly improves speed of visual search. Experiment 2 examined the effects of exercise on speed of search, speed of decision following ball detection, overall speed of decision and accuracy of decision at rest and while exercising at 70 and 100% maximum power output. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance and Tukey post-hoc tests showed that performance during exercise was significantly better than at rest. Observation of the separate univariate analyses of variance demonstrated that most of the variance could be accounted for by overall speed of decision and speed of decision after ball detection. We concluded that exercise induces not only an improvement in a simple task, like speed of visual search, but also an overall increase in speed of information processing. Theories concerning the effect of emotionally induced arousal on cognitive performance do not accurately predict the effect of physically induced arousal on cognitive tasks.

Heart rate responses of referees during the 2011 Eurobasket Championship

“…This was hypothesised to be the result of heightened event specific arousal. It should be acknowledged that these findings differ to other studies that have suggested that cognitive function is impaired under conditions of physical stress (McMorris & Keen, 1994;McMorris & Graydon, 2000), but these studies have used recreational as opposed to highly trained athletes. Given that, even at the international level, basketball officials tend to be significantly older than the players, it would seem plausible that they may possess inferior physical capacities and that accumulated fatigue could influence their ability to effectively monitor on-court activities and make complex cognitively demanding decisions.…”

Do moods affect programmers’ debug performance?

“…Similarly, physical exercises are also known for their positive impact on performance. For example, McMorris and Graydon (1997) found that exercise could significantly increase the speed of visual search, speed of decision-making and accuracy of decision-making. Physical exercises are also known to have an impact on moods.…”

The effect of differing intensities of acute cycling on preadolescent academic achievement

“…Initial accounts of exercise and arousal predicted an inverted U-shaped relationship (McMorris & Graydon, 2000;see also Yerkes & Dodson, 1908) such that moderate levels of exercise increased arousal and facilitated cognition, but when arousal approaches maximal levels performance begins to deteriorate (Levitt & Gutin, 1971;Brisswalter, Durand, Delignieres & Legros, 1995). Prior adult studies examining the effect of exercise induced fatigue on cognitive variables have evidenced an inverted U effect of increasing exercise intensity on coincidence anticipation (Lyons, Al-Nakeeb & Nevill, 2008) and reaction times (Chmura, Nazar & Kaciuba-Uscilko, 1994).…”