Sport expertise and physical exercise are associated with "hot" executive functioning: An electrophysiological examination of reward processing in collegiate athletes

Prior research has revealed potential effects of sports expertise and physical exercise on cognition, though there is limited research examining their effects on the "hot," emotional-processing aspects of executive functioning (e.g., valence and reward processing important for decision-making). The present study aimed to address this gap by examining event-related brain potentials (ERPs) during a reward-processing task in athletes versus non-athletes, while also investigating if sport expertise and exercise influence this electrophysiological response.

A total of 45 participants, including 22 athletes (55% women, 45% men) and 23 non-athlete controls (57% women, 43% men) between the ages of 18-27, completed a "virtual T-maze" environment task involving a rewarded forced choice that elicits the reward positivity (Rew-P), an ERP component associated with reward processing. Rew-P peak amplitude was compared between groups, and both sport expertise and frequency of strenuous exercise were investigated as potential predictors of the Rew-P in athletes.

No significant Rew-P differences were found between athletes and controls (t = -1.43, p = .16, d = -.43). However, frequency of strenuous exercise (β = -.51, p = .01) and sport expertise (β = -.48, p = .01) each accounted for a significant proportion of variability in the Rew-P peak amplitude in athletes.

Results indicate that, for young adults, sport expertise and physical exercise may each account for heightened electrophysiological reward sensitivity in athletes. Potential implications are discussed for decision-making, an integral cognitive process in sports that is driven by reward processing, and the role of reward-seeking and motivation in sport proficiency.