Trained athletes and cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The Influence of Acute Sprint Interval Training on the Cognitive Performance of Male Basketball Players: An Investigation of Expertise-Related Differences

“…In the present study, we aimed to investigate (i) potential differences between male amateur and elite basketball players concerning their performance in specific cognitive tests and (ii) the effects of an acute bout of SIT on distinct measures of cognitive performance in these populations. With respect to the pretest, we did not observe a significant difference between the male amateur and elite basketball players, which is in slight contrast to the literature in which expertise-related differences concerning cognitive performance have been reported [ 1 , 2 ], although such an effect is rather of small-to-medium magnitude [ 1 ]. Accordingly, our finding might be related to the fact that the difference in the performance level (i.e., tier 3 vs. tier 2 according to McKay et al’s (2022) classification framework) is too small so that significant cognitive performance differences do not occur in a resting state (i.e., pretest) in which cognitive resources are fully available [ 29 ].…”

“…There is growing evidence suggesting that athletes not only require extraordinary physical abilities but also rely on superior cognitive abilities to compete at high levels of performance [ 1 ]. Indeed, the empirical evidence demonstrates that elite athletes outperform amateur athletes with respect to some specific cognitive abilities (e.g., executive functions) [ 1 ], especially those athletes that participate in a team-based sport [ 2 ]. In this context, there is also growing evidence that suggests that well-developed cognitive abilities are, among other factors, crucial for success in team sports such as soccer [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] or basketball [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

Look into my eyes: What can eye-based measures tell us about the relationship between physical activity and cognitive performance?

“…amateur athlete or non-athlete) 109 , 110 , 114 , 115 , 116 are linked to superior pro- and antisaccade tasks (e.g., shorter reaction time and fewer directional errors). In general, these findings are in agreement with the current literature, which demonstrates that higher levels of regular physical activity 167 and sport-specific skills 168 are associated with superior cognitive performance.…”

Functional Characteristics and Coping Strategies among Rugby Athletes: A Cluster Analysis Approach

“…The correlation between physical activity and cognitive flexibility has been documented throughout several age groups, spanning from adulthood to old age. Existing research has established a correlation between engaging in physical activity and various executive functions, including but not limited to selective attention, task switching, the inhibition of prepotent responses, and working memory capacity [ 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 ]. This indicates the positive impact of physical activity on cognitive flexibility throughout one’s entire lifespan [ 95 , 96 , 97 ].…”