ECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH17
Introduction/Objective: Mental training strategies such as music listening and mental imagery, as well as their combination, are commonly used to support motor skill execution in sport. However, their effectiveness may depend on individual characteristics, including physical fitness and imagery ability [1]. This study examined whether individual differences moderate the effects of imagery, music, and their combination (MIMUS) on motor execution variability. Methods: Eighty novices were randomly allocated to one of four conditions: imagery-only, music-only, MIMUS, or control. Participants were trained to perform a precision throwing movement simulating a pétanque shooting technique [2], executing it across four practice blocks, with 5-minute breaks between blocks filled with content-related assigned conditions. In addition, participants completed questionnaires assessing their physical activity levels (IPAQ-long form [3]) and mental imagery abilities (MIQ-3: internal, external, and kinaesthetic [4]) prior to practice. The study comprised acquisition and retention sessions. Bayesian mixed-effects models examined motor execution accuracy, with individual characteristics – fitness levels and imagery abilities - included as interaction terms with condition. Results: All groups improved motor execution accuracy by the end of the retention session (all Odds > 19*), with improvements emerging earlier and more pronounced in the experimental conditions compared with control, notably in the imagery condition (all Odds > 999*). Meaningful motor skill performance improvements were observed across individuals with both low and high fitness levels and imagery ability scores (internal and external perspectives), irrespective of assigned condition (all Odds > 19*). In addition, kinaesthetic imagery ability further enhanced responsiveness to imagery-based strategies, as participants assigned to imagery and MIMUS conditions demonstrated greater performance gains than controls with increasing kinaesthetic imagery scores (Imagery: Odds = 61.2*; MIMUS: Odds = 38.8*). Conclusions: Mental imagery, music, and MIMUS support early motor skill acquisition across individuals with varying fitness levels and imagery abilities. Imagery-based interventions appear particularly beneficial for individuals with stronger kinaesthetic imagery skills. These findings suggest that mental practice interventions are versatile and may be broadly applicable across individuals in sport contexts. [1] Mandolesi, L. et al., 2023 (DOI:10.1007/s00426-023-01876-y) [2] Nurhasan, M. A. et al., 2023 (DOI: 10.47197/retos.v52.97143) [3] Craig, C. L et al., 2003 (DOI:10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB) [4] Williams, S. E. et al., 2011 (DOI: 10.1123/jsep.33.3.416)
Read CV Fernando CastellarECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH17
INTRODUCTION University students who are simultaneously engaged in elite sports programs are identified as dual career (DC) students (1). DC entails complex resource management as peak athletic career often coincides with the most intense period of the academic years, generating a higher systemic load (i.e., sum of hours spent studying and training). Despite the "zero-sum game" theory (2), which suggests that athletic commitments hinder academic potential, academic proficiency of DC athletes may match or even outperform their non-athlete peers. This study aimed to investigate whether the efficiency paradox occurred in DC students. We hypothesized that DC students would have an equal or even higher Academic Return On Investment (ROI) for a given perception of cognitive effort. METHODS Eleven Dual Career powerlifters (DC group) and nine sedentary students (C group) underwent a 10-week monitoring period covering the entire academic semester. Cognitive effort was assessed in both groups using the Paas Mental Effort Rating Scale (PMERS) (3), while Training Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) was monitored using the CR10 Borg scale (4). RPE was exclusively collected in the DC group. Academic ROI was computed as the number of exams passed per 100 h of study, academic efficiency was calculated as ROI/(study duration x PMERS). RESULTS In the DC group a repeated measure positive correlation between weekly PMERS and weekly Training RPE was found (r = 0.29, 95% CI [0.063, 0.48], p = 0.013,). Academic efficiency was numerically higher in the DC group (DC:0.49 ± 0.61vs C:0.14 ± 0.25), but it did not reach statistical significance (p=0.06, Cliff’s δ = 0.52). Consistently, academic ROI was numerically higher in the DC group (DC: 5.4 ± 3.9 vs C: 2.3 ± 2.8) but not significant (p=0.12, Cliff’s δ = 0.41). Large effect sizes suggest that such study should be replicated with a larger sample. CONCLUSION This preliminary evaluation showed that cognitive and training perceptions of effort may be related, and that the efficiency paradox in DC students is likely to occur as the DC group had a trend towards a higher academic efficiency than the C group. Yet results were not significant, most likely because of an insufficient sample size. A larger study accounting for an appropriate statistical power analysis is required to conclusively accept or reject the efficiency paradox hypothesis. REFERENCES 1 Stambulova N, et al. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2024;71:102572. 2 Maloney MT, McCormick RE. J Hum Resour. 1993;28(3):555. 3 Paas FGWC. J Educ Psychol. 1992;84(4):429–34. 4 Foster C, et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2001;15(1):109–15.
Read CV Simone MontenegroECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH17
INTRODUCTION Although international standards for arena illuminance exist, indoor sports have shown a trend toward higher illuminance levels, driven by the widespread adoption of high-resolution broadcasting technologies aimed at delivering more visually compelling content to audiences. These lighting designs primarily aim to optimize the visual media quality; however, their effects on athletes’ perceptual–motor performance remain insufficiently examined. Volleyball attack reception is a highly demanding skill that requires the rapid perception of ball trajectories, anticipation of the attacker’s intent, and appropriate response actions, all of which may be strongly influenced by visual environmental conditions. Therefore, this study examined the effects of arena illuminance on volleyball attack reception performance using an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment. METHOD Participants included 30 male volleyball players (expert group) and 30 adult males (control group). A VR-based volleyball attack reception task was conducted under precisely controlled illuminance conditions. The task employed a temporal occlusion paradigm with six occlusion timings relative to ball contact (−160 ms, −120 ms, −80 ms, −40 ms, ±0 ms, and 40 ms). The participants performed repeated reception responses for 18 min while wearing a head-mounted display under three illuminance conditions: low (2000 lx), medium (4000 lx), and high (6000 lx). The accuracy of receive-course prediction and gaze behavior (gaze velocity) were measured. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Illuminance significantly affected attack reception performance. Compared with the low illuminance condition, prediction accuracy for the −80 ms occlusion task was significantly lower under high illuminance. Time-series analyses revealed that both the prediction accuracy and gaze velocity declined during the later phase of task performance under high illuminance. These findings suggest that high illuminance may increase susceptibility to mental fatigue over time, impairing rapid and accurate decision-making and gaze control. The results indicate that athletic performance is not simply enhanced by brighter lighting and that an optimal range of illuminance for maximizing performance may exist. CONCLUSION Under high illuminance conditions, declines in prediction accuracy and changes in gaze behavior became more pronounced over time, particularly in the −80 ms temporal occlusion condition. This timing represents a critically important phase in volleyball attack reception. The present findings suggest that excessively high illuminance may impair perceptual–motor performance during key anticipatory decision-making phases. These results indicate that arena illuminance should not be determined solely by prioritizing improvements in image quality or broadcasting conditions but should instead be optimized with careful consideration of sport-specific performance demands.
Read CV Yujiro KawataECSS Paris 2023: OP-SH17