Decision Speed and Technical Execution Under Fatigue: A Dual-Task Study in Youth Football

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Motor Control

Background:

• Physical fatigue is a common issue in youth sports.
• Understanding its impact on cognitive-motor performance is crucial for athlete development.
• Youth football players undergo intense training and competition, increasing fatigue risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of physical fatigue on cognitive-motor performance in youth football players across different age categories.
• To compare the susceptibility to fatigue-induced performance decline among under-14, under-16, and under-18 football players.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an ecologically valid dual-task test (Stroop Task Football Test) to assess cognitive-motor performance.
• Applied the Repeated Sprint Ability protocol to induce physical fatigue.
• Assessed 45 male youth football players from under-14, under-16, and under-18 categories before and after fatigue induction.

Main Results:

• Physical fatigue significantly impaired cognitive-motor performance in under-14 and under-16 players, evidenced by increased execution time and reduced total index.
• Under-18 players demonstrated stable performance, showing no significant impairments after the fatigue protocol.
• Younger players exhibited greater susceptibility to performance decrements under fatigue conditions.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive-motor performance in youth football is significantly affected by physical fatigue, with younger players being more vulnerable.
• Under-18 players show a greater capacity to maintain performance under fatigue, suggesting developmental maturation.
• Training load management and recovery strategies should be tailored to the developmental stage of young athletes to mitigate fatigue-related performance declines.