Mental practice improves pass accuracy in elite rugby players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.480Keywords:
Motor imagery, motor performance, virtual reality, imagery vividness, elite players, mental trainingAbstract
Mental practice has been shown to improve motor performance; however, its effects in elite sports, particularly under constraints, remains underexplored. In this study, we examine the impact of mental practice, preceded by imagined or virtual game scenarios, on pass accuracy in elite rugby players. Seventy-five players from national and regional talent development teams participated in this study. They were divided into three groups: control (CTRL), motor imagery (MI), and virtual reality and motor imagery (VRMI) groups. All players completed pre- and post-tests assessing pass accuracy at three distances (10, 15 and 20 meters) under two conditions (with and without time constraints). Between the tests, the MI and VRMI groups performed three mental practice sessions over three different days. Each session consisted of two blocks of imagined (MI) or virtually observed (VRMI) stressful game scenarios (yellow card or try conceded) followed by imagined passes at each distance. The CTRL group did not engage in any practice during this period. Our results showed that mental practice improved pass accuracy under no constraints, with both MI and VRMI greater than CTRL (p<0.03 in all). Vividness of motor imagery improved over training sessions for MI and VRMI (p=0.01), but VRMI did not further enhance imagery vividness compared to MI alone. Under time constraints, pass accuracy at 20m declined during the pre-test for all groups (p=0.003). However, both mental practice groups failed to counteract this decrease at post-test. In conclusion, three mental practice sessions effectively enhanced pass accuracy under no constraints but did not mitigate the negative effects of time constraints on accuracy. Coaches and practitioners might consider implementing mental practice to further improve motor accuracy and reduce physical workload.
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References
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