Diurnal variation of cognitive performance and perceived difficulty in dart-throwing performance in 9–10-year-old boys

Effects of fasting during Ramadan month on soccer-specific technical performance, cognitive function, and perceptions in soccer players

We aimed to examine the effects of Ramadan fasting (RF) and high-intensity short-term maximal performance on elite soccer players' shooting accuracy, executive function (EF), and perceptions. Sixteen Muslim elite players fasting during Ramadan underwent assessments before (BR), during (DR), and after Ramadan (AR). Soccer-specific technical performance was evaluated using the Loughborough Soccer Shooting Test (LSST) before and after a 5-metre shuttle run test (5mSRT), conducted at the same time-of-day (17:00 h). Performance metrics recorded included higher distance (HD), total distance (TD), and fatigue index (FI). RPE after a 5-min warm-up and each repetition of the 5mSRT were obtained, and the mean RPE score was calculated. Trail Making Test (TMT Parts A and B) were used after the warm-up and the 5mSRT. Perceived difficulty (PD) was assessed following the LSST. HD, TD, and FI were not affected by RF (p > 0.05). DR, RPE and accuracy scores in the LSST were significantly lower after the 5mSRT compared to BR (1.29 vs. 1.24 AU; 1.29 vs. 1.24, respectively). In conclusion, RF had no adverse effects on physical performance. However, when combined with high-intensity running sessions, RF may impact accuracy and PD, and these adverse effects seem to have been translated into EF.

The Effects of Exercise Difficulty and Time-of-Day on the Perception of the Task and Soccer Performance in Child Soccer Players

In soccer, accurate kicking skills are important determinants of successful performance. A successful kick must meet several criteria, including speed, accuracy, and timing. In fact, players who are able to kick the ball more accurately under various difficulties, such as time pressure, space constraints, the opponent’s pressure, and the distance between the kicking point and the goal, have a clear advantage during soccer games. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of exercise difficulty and time-of-day on perceived task difficulty and kicking performance. Accordingly, 32 boys (age: 11 ± 0.7 years; height: 1.45 ± 0.07 m; body-mass: 38.9 ± 7.8 kg) performed shooting accuracy tests under two difficulty levels (distance (long-distance (LD) vs. short-distance (SD)) and time pressure (Without-time-pressure (WTP) vs. With-time-pressure (TP)) at 08:00 h and 17:00 h. Absolute-error, variable-error, and constant-error were evaluated during the kicking tasks, in addition to ball velocity and shooting quality. Moreover, rating-of-perceived-exertion score (RPE), feeling-scale (FS), and perceived difficulty were completed immediately at the end of each test. The results showed that shooting quality was not affected by the time-of-day, but it was better in WTP vs. TP (p < 0.05), and in SD vs. LD (p < 0.05), respectively. Higher values for FS and lower values for RPE were observed in the morning compared to the afternoon (p < 0.05) and in WTP vs. TP (p < 0.05). In conclusion, specific soccer skills of boys were not time-of-day dependent, but they may be associated with time pressure and task difficulty.