The closest surrogate to hunter-gather activity is the sport of orienteering, which naturally and simultaneously combines high-intensity interval exercise with navigation. Although human cognition can be improved across the lifespan through exercise and cognitive training, interventions like orienteering may be especially effective because they resemble activities engaged in by prehistoric humans during evolution. The present study tested whether orienteering experts have better hippocampal-dependent cognitive function than active, non-orienteering controls. One-hundred and fifty-eight healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 87 years old with varying experience in orienteering (none, intermediate, advanced, elite) reported on their spatial processing, spatial memory and episodic memory using the Navigational Strategy Questionnaire and the Survey of Autobiographical Memory. Orienteering experts reported greater use of allocentric and egocentric spatial processing and better spatial memory than controls. In contrast, episodic memory was not associated with orienteering expertise. Notably, the significant effects of orienteering on spatial cognition remained even after controlling for age, sex, and physical activity, suggesting that orienteering may be an effective intervention to prevent age-related cognitive decline in spatial navigation and memory.

BackgroundLower limb biomechanics, including asymmetry, are frequently monitored to determine sport performance level and injury risk. However, contributing factors extend beyond biomechanical and asymmetry measures to include psychological, sociological, and environmental factors. Unfortunately, inadequate research has been conducted using holistic biopsychosocial models to characterize sport performance and injury risk. Therefore, this scoping review summarized the research landscape of studies concurrently assessing measures of lower limb biomechanics, asymmetry, and introspective psychological state (e.g., pain, fatigue, perceived exertion, stress, etc.) in healthy, competitive athletes.MethodsA systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science Core Collections was designed and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Fifty‐one articles were included in this review.ResultsSignificant relationships between biomechanics (k = 22 studies) or asymmetry (k = 20 studies) and introspective state were found. Increased self‐reported pain was associated with decreased range of motion, strength, and increased lower limb asymmetry. Higher ratings of perceived exertion were related to increased lower limb asymmetry, self‐reported muscle soreness, and worse jump performance. Few studies (k = 4) monitored athletes longitudinally throughout one or more competitive season(s).ConclusionThis review highlights the need for concurrent analysis of introspective, psychological state, and biomechanical asymmetry measures along with longitudinal research to understand the contributing factors to sport performance and injury risk from biopsychosocial modeling. In doing so, this framework of biopsychosocial preventive and prognostic patient‐centered practices may provide an actionable means of optimizing health, well‐being, and sport performance in competitive athletes.

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