The effect of domain-specific exercise on high- and low-level cognitive processing during anticipation

Skilled anticipation is underpinned by the ability to synthesise high- (e.g., context) and low-level (e.g., biological motion) processes. While researchers have highlighted the effect of physiological load on the pick-up of biological motion from an opponent’s kinematics, how such stress affects the use of contextual information has remained unexplored. In this paper, we conducted an experiment to examine how a fatigue-inducing, cricket-specific exercise protocol affects the use of contextual and kinematic information during anticipation. Altogether, 13 skilled batters completed a validated simulated cricket batting task designed to induce physiological responses representative of competition. Before, after, and during the exercise protocol, participants anticipated the end location of bowling deliveries that presented either opponent kinematics, contextual information (field positioning and game situation), or both. Anticipation responses were more accurate during the exercise protocol than at rest. Also, responses were more accurate when contextual information was available compared with when only kinematic cues were presented. Moreover, from the beginning to the end of the protocol, anticipation responses decreased in accuracy in those conditions in which contextual information was presented and increased in accuracy when only kinematic cues were available. We interpret the findings relative to Attentional Control Theory (Eysenck et al., 2007). Findings highlight the complex nature of expert sports performance and indicate that the effect of domain-specific exercise on anticipation is dependent on the physiological load experienced and the type of information available.