Does mental fatigue influence the accuracy of paralympic boccia players?

TL;DR

This study investigated whether mental fatigue affects the accuracy of Paralympic boccia players and found no negative impact.

Contribution

The study provides new evidence that mental fatigue does not impair accuracy in Paralympic boccia athletes.

Findings

No condition effect was observed for accuracy at 3, 6, and 9-m distances or total score.

A significant time effect was observed for low cognitive effort and mental fatigue conditions.

Mental fatigue did not negatively affect the performance of Paralympic boccia athletes.

Abstract

Mental fatigue (MF) is characterized by a long period of low cognitive complexity or a short period of high cognitive demand, moreover, MF decreases accuracy in the sport. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the impact of MF on accuracy in Paralympic boccia (PB) athletes. A total of 11 PB athletes participated in the study, including 6 with cerebral palsy (CP) and 5 without CP. Each participant underwent three experimental conditions: MF, low cognitive effort (LCE), and control (C). All procedures were conducted at the athletes' training facilities. Accuracy was assessed following the experimental protocols. A generalized estimating equations (GEE) model was used to analyze the effects of time and condition. A significant time effect was observed for both the LCE (p < 0.05) and MF (p < 0.05) conditions. A condition effect was found for mental demand (LCE vs. MF; p < 0.05). Regarding accuracy, no condition effect was observed for the 3, 6, and 9-m distances or for the total score (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that LCE and mental fatigue do not negatively affect the accuracy of PB athletes.

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