Expertise differences in anticipatory judgements during a temporally and spatially occluded dynamic task

There is contradictory evidence surrounding the role of critical cues in the successful anticipation of penalty kick outcome. In the current study, skilled and less-skilled soccer goalkeepers were required to anticipate spatially (full body; hip region) and temporally (–160 ms, –80 ms before, foot–ball contact) occluded penalty kicks. The skilled group outperformed the less-skilled group in all conditions. Both groups performed better in the full body, compared to hip region condition. Later temporal occlusion conditions were associated with increased performance in the correct response and correct side analysis, but not for correct height. These data suggest that there is enough postural information from the hip region for skilled goalkeepers to make highly accurate predictions of penalty kick direction, however, other regions are needed in order to make predictions of height. These data demonstrate the evolution of cues over time and have implications for anticipation training

Eye gaze metrics reflect a shared motor representation for action observation and movement imagery

Action observation (AO) and movement imagery (MI) have been reported to share similar neural networks. This study investigated the congruency between AO and MI using the eye gaze metrics, dwell time and fixation number. A simple reach-grasp-place arm movement was observed and, in a second condition, imagined where the movement was presented from the first person perspective (1PP) and the third person perspective (3PP). Dwell time and number of fixations were calculated for whole scene and regions of interest (ROIs). For whole scene, no significant differences were found in the number of fixations for condition (AO, MI) or perspective. Dwell time, however, was significantly longer in AO than MI. For ROIs, the number of fixations was significantly greater in 1PP than 3PP. The data provide support for congruence between motor simulation states but also indicate some functional differences

Does anticipation of penalty kicks in soccer transfer across similar and dissimilar sports?

The aim of the present study was to examine whether anticipation skill associated with penalty-kick scenarios is sport-specific, or whether it transfers between sports that have similar elements. A shortened participation history questionnaire was used to identify 97 soccer players, 47 invasion sport players (e.g., rugby), and 72 other sport players (e.g., swimming), as well as skill level (hours of engagement/competition level). These participants completed a video-based temporal occlusion anticipation test that required them to select the destination of the ball across a series of soccer penalty scenarios. Results indicated that the skilled soccer players were more accurate than the skilled and less-skilled invasion sport players and skilled and less-skilled other sport players. Skilled soccer players were also more accurate than the less-skilled soccer players, with less-skilled soccer players exhibiting similar accuracy to both the skilled and less-skilled invasion sport and other sport players indicating that processes associated with anticipation of penalty kicks may be specific to their sport

Quiet Eye Duration and Gun Motion in Elite Shotgun Shooting

INTRODUCTION: No literature exists to document skill-related differences in shotgun shooting and whether these may be a function of eye movements and control of gun motion. We therefore conducted an exploratory investigation of the visual search behaviors and gun barrel kinematics used by elite and subelite shooters across the three shotgun shooting subdisciplines. METHODS: Point of gaze and gun barrel kinematics were recorded in groups of elite (n = 24) and subelite (n = 24) shooters participating in skeet, trap, and double trap events. Point of gaze was calculated in relation to the scene, while motion of the gun was captured by two stationary external cameras. Quiet eye (final fixation or tracking gaze that is located on a specific location/object in the visual display for a minimum of 100 ms) duration and onset were analyzed as well as gun motion profiles in the horizontal and vertical planes. RESULTS: In skeet, trap, and double trap disciplines, elite shooters demonstrated both an earlier onset and a longer relative duration of quiet eye than their subelite counterparts did. Also, in all three disciplines, quiet eye duration was longer and onset earlier during successful compared with unsuccessful trials for elite and subelite shooters. Kinematic analyses indicated that a slower movement of the gun barrel was used by elite compared with subelite shooters. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, stable gun motion and a longer quiet eye duration seem critical to a successful performance in all three shotgun disciplines

Association of Accelerometry-Measured Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Events in Mobility-Limited Older Adults: The LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders) Study.

BACKGROUND:Data are sparse regarding the value of physical activity (PA) surveillance among older adults-particularly among those with mobility limitations. The objective of this study was to examine longitudinal associations between objectively measured daily PA and the incidence of cardiovascular events among older adults in the LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders) study. METHODS AND RESULTS:Cardiovascular events were adjudicated based on medical records review, and cardiovascular risk factors were controlled for in the analysis. Home-based activity data were collected by hip-worn accelerometers at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months postrandomization to either a physical activity or health education intervention. LIFE study participants (n=1590; age 78.9±5.2 [SD] years; 67.2% women) at baseline had an 11% lower incidence of experiencing a subsequent cardiovascular event per 500 steps taken per day based on activity data (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.96; P=0.001). At baseline, every 30 minutes spent performing activities ≥500 counts per minute (hazard ratio, 0.75; confidence interval, 0.65-0.89 [P=0.001]) were also associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events. Throughout follow-up (6, 12, and 24 months), both the number of steps per day (per 500 steps; hazard ratio, 0.90, confidence interval, 0.85-0.96 [P=0.001]) and duration of activity ≥500 counts per minute (per 30 minutes; hazard ratio, 0.76; confidence interval, 0.63-0.90 [P=0.002]) were significantly associated with lower cardiovascular event rates. CONCLUSIONS:Objective measurements of physical activity via accelerometry were associated with cardiovascular events among older adults with limited mobility (summary score >10 on the Short Physical Performance Battery) both using baseline and longitudinal data. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01072500

Perceptual-cognitive skills and talent development environments in soccer: A scoping review

Perceptual-cognitive skills are a key performance component within professional soccer. Consequently, their role within talent development environments has gained increasing attention. Despite this growing interest, research linking perceptual-cognitive skills to the talent development process remains relatively limited. The present study provided a scoping review examining perceptual-cognitive skills within soccer-specific environments within the last three decades, with a particular focus on outcomes relevant to talent development contexts. Following PRISMA guidelines, specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were set, where 55 studies were included in the final review. Narrative analysis identified key themes in the literature, including visual search behaviours, cognitive capabilities, performance, and methodologies. These themes are discussed with areas for future research identified to support the work of stakeholders in talent development contexts (e.g., coaches, scouts, academy directors), to re-direct future research efforts to further bridge the gap between science and application

Developmental activities of professional male British rugby-league players versus controls.

Many rugby league clubs rely on developing youth athletes into experts in adulthood. One factor that contributes to the attainment of expertise is the activities that athletes engage in across their development. Therefore, the developmental activities of professional male British rugby league players were compared to lesser-skilled players. Players who had progressed from youth academies to professional status, those who were released from youth academies, and those who had only played recreationally completed the Participation History Questionnaire. During childhood, professional players accumulated significantly greater amounts of play compared to ex-academy and recreational players, as well as greater coach-led practice compared to ex-academy . During early adolescence, this pattern continued, whereas in late adolescence the professional and ex-academy players accumulated significantly greater amounts of coach-led practice compared to their recreational counterparts. Professional players accumulated more hours in rugby league up to 18 years of age compared to ex-academy players, with both groups accumulating more hours than recreational . The number of other sports engaged in was relatively low across development and did not discriminate between performance levels. Findings from this study may inform future practice of talent development systems within rugby league in Britain