Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female Athletes
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The characteristics of open- and closed-skill sports can have a significant impact on the development of both motor and cognitive functions during late childhood and early adolescence. This study examined the impact of artistic gymnastics and soccer practice...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/10/1/85 |
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| author | Fioretta Silvestri Matteo Campanella Lorenzo Marcelli Dafne Ferrari Maria Chiara Gallotta Faten Hamdi Maicon Rodrigues Albuquerque Maurizio Bertollo Davide Curzi |
| author_facet | Fioretta Silvestri Matteo Campanella Lorenzo Marcelli Dafne Ferrari Maria Chiara Gallotta Faten Hamdi Maicon Rodrigues Albuquerque Maurizio Bertollo Davide Curzi |
| author_sort | Fioretta Silvestri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives</b>: The characteristics of open- and closed-skill sports can have a significant impact on the development of both motor and cognitive functions during late childhood and early adolescence. This study examined the impact of artistic gymnastics and soccer practice on physical/coordinative skills and executive functions in preadolescent female athletes. <b>Methods</b>: Gross-motor coordination (Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder battery), explosive lower limb power (countermovement jump) and executive functions (Flanker/Reverse Flanker; Digit Span) of ninety-eight soccer and gymnastics athletes (10.9 ± 0.6 years of age) were tested at the beginning and the end of a sports season. A <i>t</i>-test and a mixed linear method were used to detect differences between sports and expertise levels (amateur vs. elite) at baseline and over time, respectively. <b>Results</b>: Gymnasts scored higher in physical tests compared to soccer athletes, who obtained better scores in the Digit Span test. Elite gymnasts showed higher physical skills compared to both amateur gymnasts and elite soccer players, with executive function levels comparable to those of amateur gymnasts. Similarly, elite soccer players showed higher reaction time in executive functions tests compared to both elite gymnasts and amateur soccer athletes, with similar physical skills as amateur soccer players. Amateur gymnastics and soccer athletes showed similar levels of physical and cognitive skills. All groups improved their physical and executive function skills over time, with relevant effects of expertise level on physical tasks. <b>Conclusions</b>: Results revealed the impact of sport type and athletes’ level of expertise in influencing both their motor and cognitive development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8710620b534f4bb4bc9c9210802e4c31 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2411-5142 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology |
| spelling | doaj-art-8710620b534f4bb4bc9c9210802e4c312025-08-20T02:42:34ZengMDPI AGJournal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology2411-51422025-03-011018510.3390/jfmk10010085Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female AthletesFioretta Silvestri0Matteo Campanella1Lorenzo Marcelli2Dafne Ferrari3Maria Chiara Gallotta4Faten Hamdi5Maicon Rodrigues Albuquerque6Maurizio Bertollo7Davide Curzi8Department of Humanities, Movement and Education Sciences, University “Niccolò Cusano”, 00166 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, ItalyDepartment of Humanities, Movement and Education Sciences, University “Niccolò Cusano”, 00166 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, Health and Health Professions, Link Campus University, 00165 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology “Vittorio Erspamer”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyHigh Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Kef, University of Jendouba, El Kef 7100, TunisiaNeurosciences of Physical Activity and Sports Research Group, Department of Sports, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31120-901, BrazilBIND-Behavioral Imaging and Neural Dynamics Center, Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University G. d’Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, ItalyDepartment of Humanities, Movement and Education Sciences, University “Niccolò Cusano”, 00166 Rome, Italy<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The characteristics of open- and closed-skill sports can have a significant impact on the development of both motor and cognitive functions during late childhood and early adolescence. This study examined the impact of artistic gymnastics and soccer practice on physical/coordinative skills and executive functions in preadolescent female athletes. <b>Methods</b>: Gross-motor coordination (Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder battery), explosive lower limb power (countermovement jump) and executive functions (Flanker/Reverse Flanker; Digit Span) of ninety-eight soccer and gymnastics athletes (10.9 ± 0.6 years of age) were tested at the beginning and the end of a sports season. A <i>t</i>-test and a mixed linear method were used to detect differences between sports and expertise levels (amateur vs. elite) at baseline and over time, respectively. <b>Results</b>: Gymnasts scored higher in physical tests compared to soccer athletes, who obtained better scores in the Digit Span test. Elite gymnasts showed higher physical skills compared to both amateur gymnasts and elite soccer players, with executive function levels comparable to those of amateur gymnasts. Similarly, elite soccer players showed higher reaction time in executive functions tests compared to both elite gymnasts and amateur soccer athletes, with similar physical skills as amateur soccer players. Amateur gymnastics and soccer athletes showed similar levels of physical and cognitive skills. All groups improved their physical and executive function skills over time, with relevant effects of expertise level on physical tasks. <b>Conclusions</b>: Results revealed the impact of sport type and athletes’ level of expertise in influencing both their motor and cognitive development.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/10/1/85cognitive functionsKTKinhibitory controlworking memoryopen-skill sportclosed-skill sport |
| spellingShingle | Fioretta Silvestri Matteo Campanella Lorenzo Marcelli Dafne Ferrari Maria Chiara Gallotta Faten Hamdi Maicon Rodrigues Albuquerque Maurizio Bertollo Davide Curzi Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female Athletes Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology cognitive functions KTK inhibitory control working memory open-skill sport closed-skill sport |
| title | Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female Athletes |
| title_full | Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female Athletes |
| title_fullStr | Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female Athletes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female Athletes |
| title_short | Gross-Motor Coordination and Executive Functions Development in Soccer and Artistic Gymnastics Preadolescent Female Athletes |
| title_sort | gross motor coordination and executive functions development in soccer and artistic gymnastics preadolescent female athletes |
| topic | cognitive functions KTK inhibitory control working memory open-skill sport closed-skill sport |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/10/1/85 |
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