Does mental fatigue affect performance in racket sports? A systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Psychology
• Human Performance

Background:

• Mental fatigue is known to impair athletic performance across various sports.
• A systematic review on mental fatigue's specific effects on racket sports performance was previously lacking.
• This review addresses the scarcity of research on mental fatigue in racket sports.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review the effects of mental fatigue on racket sports players' performance.
• To discuss the underlying psychobiological mechanisms of mental fatigue in racket sports.
• To synthesize findings from existing studies on mental fatigue and racket sports.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across five major databases.
• Inclusion criteria were based on the PICOS framework, focusing on healthy racket sports players and mental fatigue interventions.
• Performance outcomes, subjective evaluations, and physiological markers were synthesized.

Main Results:

• Mental fatigue negatively impacted stroke performance in table tennis (speed, accuracy, faults) and second-serve accuracy in tennis.
• Psychomotor response time increased in table tennis, padel, and badminton.
• Rate of perceived exertion (RPE) increased, while heart rate, blood glucose, and lactate remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

• Mental fatigue demonstrably impairs specific aspects of racket sports performance.
• Findings support the Psychobiological model of endurance performance, with attention identified as a key factor.
• Further research into attentional mechanisms is warranted to understand fatigue in racket sports.