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Effects of prolonged intermittent exercise on perceptual-cognitive processes
Filipe Casanova1, Júlio Garganta, Gustavo Silva
1Faculty of Sport, Center of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|March 9, 2013
Summary
High-level soccer players maintain superior anticipation during intermittent exercise, using more effective visual search and cognitive strategies than lower-level players, despite performance declines in both groups.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Perception and Cognition
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Anticipation is crucial in soccer, relying on visual search and cognitive processes.
- Intermittent exercise, simulating match play, may impact these perceptual-cognitive skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine visual search behaviors and thought processes in anticipation.
- To investigate how intermittent exercise influences these processes in high- and low-level soccer players.
Main Methods:
- High- and low-level soccer players (n=8 each) underwent a simulated intermittent exercise protocol.
- Assessed were heart rate (HR), blood lactate, anticipation performance, visual search patterns, and verbal reports.
Main Results:
- High-level players showed better anticipation but accuracy decreased with exercise in both groups.
- Exercise increased HR and blood lactate.
- High-level players adapted visual search (more fixations, shorter duration, more locations initially; fewer fixations, longer duration, fewer locations later).
- High-level players used more complex cognitive statements (evaluation, prediction, planning) than low-level players (superficial cognition).
Conclusions:
- Intermittent exercise altered perceptual-cognitive processes in both player levels.
- High-level players maintained superior anticipation and employed more effective search and cognitive strategies throughout exercise.
