Training cognitivo: quali sono le funzioni cognitive su cui agisce e come può essere utile per migliorare la pratica sportiva Negli ultimi anni lo studio delle funzioni cognitive e del loro incremento, attraverso il training cognitivo, ha ricevuto una particolare attenzione, non solo in campo clinico, ma anche in altri campi applicativi. L’obiettivo che il training cognitivo si pone è quello di migliorare le funzioni cognitive attraverso degli esercizi mirati, che frequentemente utilizzano le tecnologie informatiche. Il training cognitivo dimostra la sua validità anche nel contesto sportivo, in quanto migliora la flessibilità di risposta cognitiva, incrementa i processi attentivi e potenzia la velocità di esecuzione delle performance.

Sports performance at the highest level requires a wealth of cognitive functions such as attention, decision making, and working memory to be functioning at optimal levels in stressful and demanding environments. Whilst a substantial research base exists focusing on psychological skills for performance (e.g., imagery) or therapeutic techniques for emotion regulation (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy), there is a scarcity of research examining whether the enhancement of core cognitive abilities leads to improved performance in sport. Cognitive training is a highly researched method of enhancing cognitive skills through repetitive and targeted exercises. In this article, we outline the potential use of

Physical capacity and coordination cannot alone predict success in team sports such as soccer. Instead, more focus has been directed towards the importance of cognitive abilities, and it has been suggested that executive functions (EF) are fundamentally important for success in soccer. However, executive functions are going through a steep development from adolescence to adulthood. Moreover, more complex EF involving manipulation of information (higher level EF) develop later than simple executive functions such as those linked to simple working memory capacity (Core EF). The link between EF and success in young soccer players is therefore not obvious. In the present

Aim Research suggested a positive association between physical fitness and neurocognitive functioning in children. Aim of the present study is to investigate possible dose-response relationships between diverse daily physical activities and a broad range of neurocognitive functions in preadolescent children. Furthermore, the relationship between several sedentary behaviours, including TV-watching, gaming and computer time, and neurocognitive functioning will be investigated in this group of children. Methods A total of 168 preadolescent boys, aged 8 to 12 years, were recruited from various locations, including primary schools, an amateur soccer club, and a professional soccer club, to increase variability in the amount of