Relationship between physical prowess and cognitive function.

There is some evidence about the low relationship between physical prowess and cognitive function (Posthuma, Mulder, Boomsma & de Geus, 2002). The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between cognitive variables (spatial ability, reasoning, numerical ability, inductive reasoning, and reasoning and verbal comprehension) and physical prowess in sport performance (agility circuit, coordination circuit, horizontal jump, swimming and sprint racing). Two studies were performance. In the first one we applied a battery of standardized cognitive tests and a battery of physical grading tests to 400 subjects. When we applied factor analysis to the physical prowess and the cognitive variables, we found one general factor in cognitive variables and one general factor in physical prowess. We found a low relationship between both factors (.21). In the second study we compare the cognitive abilities in elite and amateur sport people. Results show that elite gymnastics people present higher cognitive abilities than amateur sportspeople. It should be relevant in order to clarify the total set of variables involved in sport performance. Keywords: physical prowess, cognition, spatial ability, reasoning. Existen ciertas evidencias sobre la relacion existente entre destreza fisica y capacidad cognitiva (Posthuma, Mulder, Boomsma y de Geus, 2002). El objetivo de este trabajo es investigar la relacion entre variables cognitivas (capacidad espacial, razonamiento, capacidad numerica, razonamiento inductivo y comprension verbal) y destreza fisica asociada al rendimiento deportivo (circuito de agilidad, circuito de coordinacion, natacion, salto horizontal y carrera de velocidad). Para ello se llevaron a cabo dos estudios. En el primero se administro una bateria de test cognitivos estandarizados y una bateria de pruebas de condicion fisica a 400 sujetos. Se aplico un analisis factorial para las pruebas de destreza fisica y otro para las variables cognitivas. Encontramos un factor general asociado a las variables cognitivas y un factor general asociado a la destreza fisica. La correlacion encontrada entre ambos factores fue baja pero significativa (0,21). En el segundo estudio se compararon las capacidades cognitivas en deportistas de elite y amateurs. Los resultados muestran que los deportistas de elite presentan mayores puntuaciones en los test cognitivos que los deportistas amateurs. Estos resultados son relevantes para establecer el conjunto de variables que se asocian al rendimiento deportivo. Palabras clave: destreza fisica, cognicion, capacidad espacial, razonamiento. The study of individual differences in sport is foremost associated with personality. However, the findings drawn from research about intelligence were inconclusive. Intelligence is a complex cognitive construct, particularly when applied to a physical prowess, but the question is whether or not motor performance requires intelligence. Several authors show the importance of the predictive factor of intelligence in different contexts (Gottfredson, 1997; Gottfredson & Deary, 2004; Hunter & Schmidt, 1996; De Juan-Espinosa, 1997; Hunt, 1995a; Hunt, 1995b; McHenry, Hought, Toquam, Hanson & Ashworth, 1990; Sternberg & Grigorenko, 1997). However, when analyzing the relationship between physical prowess and cognitive function there is some controversy. We found some studies than reject this relationship (Hillman, Weiss, Hagberg & Hatfield, 2002). Some studies have indicated a small and positive relationship (Posthuma, Mulder, Boomsma & de Geus, 2002; Yaffe, Barnes, Nevitt, Lui & Covinsky, 2001). We assume that an individual with a high level of physical capacity could carry out a physical task better than another with low capacity. Sports practice involves several factors: the number of decisions and diversity of intentions, the decision making time, the number of elements to remember, the level of uncertainty about the decision, the order and sequence of decisions and the risk level of the decision, etc. …