Psychomotor and Basic Cognitive Abilities in Professional Athletes: A Systematic Review

Abstract

There are several ways to describe psychomotor and cognitive abilities in the context of sport performance, including psychomotor abilities, cognitive functioning, perceptual-cognitive skills, exercise-cognition, and motor-cognitive abilities. This review aimed to identify methods for measuring the aforementioned concepts within the context of relevant terminology. Studies examining psychomotor performance, as well as attentional, perceptual, and visual processes, were selected from three online databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Twenty-eight (28) studies were included in the review. The results were divided into sample characteristics and methodological details, including nomenclature specific to performance, methods, and outcomes. The studies were also categorised in the context of comparisons by the competitive level, sex and sport. Analysis showed that the most frequent basis of comparison included athletic performance. Computer-based methods occurred with the greatest frequency across all sport disciplines. Outcomes were typically reported in milliseconds, focusing on reaction time or accuracy. There was no consistency in the presentation of performance nomenclature and performance procedure. Addressing the selection and description of methods is relevant as it can contribute to a more effective research intervention design.