Frontiers in Sports and Active Living | 2026
Authors: Haweni A.; Tannoubi A.; Gasmi M.; Ursu V.E.; Geantă V.A.
DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1736195
Journal: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living
Year: 2026
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access; Green Open Access
Cited by: 1
Background/objectives: Effective motor performance in sport depends on the dynamic interaction between cognitive and physiological systems. However, it remains unclear how the temporal spacing between training sessions influences this interaction. This study examined the effects of the Time Interval Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Sessions (TIBSAS) on motor control and working memory in highly trained youth football players. Methods: Fifty-seven adolescent athletes (12.1 ± 0.9 years) participated in a randomized crossover design involving three interval conditions between training sessions: (1) no delay, (2) 6–12 h delay, and (3) 12–24 h delay. Motor performance was evaluated using a 15 m ball-dribbling test, and cognitive performance was assessed using the Sternberg working memory task. Data were analyzed with one-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni correction. Results: TIBSAS had significant impacts on both motor and cognitive performance. The 12–24 h interval (COND 3) produced considerably quicker dribbling times (3.60 ± 0.16 s) in comparison to COND 1 (3.96 ± 0.21 s, p < 0.001) and COND 2 (4.07 ± 0.23 s, p < 0.001), exhibiting a substantial effect size (η2 = 0.50). Cognitive performance exhibited analogous enhancements, with COND 3 indicating significantly quicker reaction times for both one-item (733.74 ± 13.08 ms vs. 777.15 ± 41.91 ms, p < 0.001) and three-item memory loads (982.00 ± 40.19 ms vs. 1,022.30 ± 33.10 ms, p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in the five-item memory load. Conclusion: An optimal spacing of 12–24 h between training sessions enhances both motor execution and cognitive processing, suggesting improved integration of perceptual and executive systems in young athletes. These findings highlight the importance of time-dependent consolidation mechanisms in sport performance and offer practical guidance for designing cognitively informed training schedules. 2026 Haweni, Tannoubi, Gasmi, Ursu and Geantă.
cognitive performance; football; motor control; neurocognitive integration; perceptual–motor learning; skill acquisition; temporal spacing; working memory