Author(s): SEIPP, D., KLATT, S. , Institution: GERMAN SPORT UNIVERSITY COLOGNE , Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 1948

INTRODUCTION:
Athletes who can perceive situations more quickly and execute movements more rapidly have a significant advantage in team sports. In particular, decision making and perceptual abilities are frequently identified as crucial factors that differentiate between different levels of playing ability. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown [1]. This study aims to investigate the role of cognitive and physiological factors in response time tasks using general stimuli and their influence on expertise differences in female team sport athletes.
METHODS:
A total of n = 23 high-level (2nd-4th league, age: 23.80 ± 2.95 years) and n = 22 low-level (7th league, age: 28.80 ± 7.60 years) female team handball athletes performed an Eriksen-Flanker-Task and four measurements on the SpeedCourt (a sensor-based system for assessing speed and reactive performance). Jump height, five-second tapping, and response times under both simple and complex conditions were assessed. Reaction and movement time were measured following a sport-specific response. Simple mean comparisons and correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between dependent variables. The influence of test complexity and performance level was analyzed using a repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance (rmMANOVA).
RESULTS:
Reaction and movement time in the response time tasks increased significantly with increasing test complexity (p < 0.001). Only movement time distinguished between high- and low-level team handball players, with high-level players demonstrating significantly shorter movement times (MDiff = -0.037 s, 95%-CI [-0.001 s, -0.072 s], p < 0.05). Faster movement times were significantly correlated with jump height (moderate, r = -0.48, r2 = 0.24, p < 0.01). Other cognitive-psychological factors, such as performance on the Eriksen-Flanker-Task, showed no significant group differences or a correlation with reaction time in the complex response time task (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, physiological factors, as indicated by movement time, contribute to differentiating female team sport athletes in response time tasks using general stimuli. These findings reflect sport-specific requirements for optimizing response time tasks and highlight implications for improving reactive agility. Future studies should incorporate sport-specific stimuli to systematically analyze the impact of anticipation and visual search behavior on movement times and expertise differences, which could provide valuable insights for training interventions in team sports.

1. Paul DJ, Gabbett TJ, Nassis GP. Agility in Team Sports: Testing, Training and Factors Affecting Performance. Sports Med, 2016. 46(3): 421-442.