Introduction:
On the sports field, athletes often face highly challenging physically and cognitively demanding environments. The demands are complex. They may have to move without conscious thought, processing intricate information, recalling rules, and making split-second decisions. This delicate balance becomes even more challenging for those new to a sport, where the chaos of the environment can overwhelm the brain. In this blog, we delve into the critical link between physical and cognitive aspects of sports, exploring the implications for performance and injury prevention.
The Cognitive Challenge:
Athletes often find themselves multitasking on the field, from assessing ball speed to judging distances between players. The strain on cognitive resources is evident, especially for newcomers who must grapple with both the rules of the game and the unpredictable nature of the sports field. This cognitive load can become a barrier to fluency, and automated movements, potentially impacting performance.
Injuries and Cognitive Distractions:
It has been observed that many non-contact ACL injuries occur when the individual is momentarily distracted or multitasking during a physical and a cognitive challenge. Momentary lapses in attention or attempting to multitask can lead to errors in processing, resulting in a loss of neuromuscular control. Research has highlighted the link between individuals with conditions such as ADHD, post-concussion, or slower reaction times to a higher risk of injury, emphasizing the importance of considering individual differences in processing information.
Conscious Control and Movement Fluency:
If movement control becomes overly conscious, it is often less fluent. Think about those early experiences of learning to drive. It takes all your effort to control the clutch and the accelerator. The movement is jerky. You must focus all your attention on the action and have not got sufficient working memory to check the mirrors, operate the radio, or chat to a passenger. Once the first driving lesson is finished, how do we retain the lessons learnt so we don’t have to go back to baseline each day. In skill acquisition, we call this retention. We can recall it later. The other aspect of skill acquisition is the ability to apply what has been learnt to similar settings. This is called transfer of the skill. We couldn’t possibly learn every single movement, pass and play, so learning should be taught in a way that helps the person be able to adapt the skills learnt to each unique setting. The way skills are taught affects retention and transfer of skills.
The Role of Rehabilitation:
Rehabilitation should extend beyond physical strength; it must address neuroplastic changes in the brain after injury. To truly prepare the athlete for the chaotic demands of sport, rehabilitation must integrate proprioception, strength and cognitive approaches. Failing to recognise and target these changes may contribute to the high rates of reinjury, particularly in ligament injuries. The focus should be on helping athletes, especially the younger ones, develop strategies that enhance the automaticity of motor control, freeing up cognitive resources for multitasking.
The OPTIMAL Approach:
Enter the OPTIMAL theory by Wulf and Lewthwaite – Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning. This theory offers a holistic approach to motor learning, emphasizing intrinsic motivation, autonomy, and an external focus of attention. By integrating these principles into rehabilitation, athletes can enhance engagement, improve skill retention, and facilitate the transfer of skills to the sports setting which may reduce their risk of further injury.
Conclusion:
In the dynamic world of sports, success hinges on the seamless integration of physical and cognitive abilities. Understanding the interplay between these elements is paramount for optimising performance and preventing injuries. By embracing the principles of the OPTIMAL theory and tailoring training to individual cognitive strengths and weaknesses, athletes can unlock their full potential on the field and reduce their risk of future injury.
