The effect of different attentional strategies on physiological and cognitive responses in sprinting

Objective: The type of attentional focus affects individuals' physiological and psychological state during running. Although the role of attentional strategies in producing optimal movements has been repeatedly considered, the role of attention in sprinting under conditions of manipulating different constraints has not yet been well defined. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the role of associative and dissociative attentional strategies with internal and external dimensions on semi-skilled athletes’ sprinting.

Method: Participants were 24 semi-skilled athletes (age: 15 to 18 years, gender: male and female, activity history: three to five years). They participated in a sprinting task within a group in four conditions of internal-associative, internal-dissociative attentional focus, and external-associative, external-dissociative in a counterbalanced manner for four consecutive days. Oxygen consumption was measured using a gas analyzer, heart rate was measured using a heart rate belt, and perceived exertion was measured using the Borg scale.

Results: Semi-skilled athletes who adopt the internal-associative focus of attention had lower oxygen consumption (18.58 ± 3.63) and better performance than those with internal-dissociative focus of attention (19.15 ± 3.33), external-associative (18.90 ± 3.37), and external-dissociative (19.38 ± 3.53). Participants also had lower levels of perceived exertion in the internal-associative focus of attention.

Conclusion: This finding suggests that directing attention to the internal-associative manner in a sprinting task may prevent energy wastage and moderate perceived exertion by optimizing neuromuscular coordination. Such strategies lead to increased body awareness and motor efficiency.