Acquisition of novel ball-related skills associated with sports experience

Abstract

Abstract Some individuals can quickly acquire novel motor skills, while others take longer. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between neurophysiological state, sports experience, and novel ball-related skill acquisition. We enrolled 28 healthy collegiate participants. The participants’ neurophysiological data (input–output curve of the corticospinal tract) were recorded through transcranial magnetic stimulation. Subsequently, the participants performed a novel motor task (unilateral two-ball juggling) on a different day, after which they reported their previous sports experience (types and years). We found that individuals with more years of experience in ball sports showed faster acquisition of novel ball-related skills. Further, this result was not limited to any single ball sport. Therefore, the acquisition of novel ball-related skills is associated with familiarity with a ball’s nature. Furthermore, gain of the corticospinal tract was negatively and positively correlated with the years of experience in primary ball and non-ball sports (implemented for the longest time in individuals), respectively. These results could be associated with the extent of proficiency in their primary sport. The chosen type of sports (e.g., ball or non-ball) could critically influence the future acquisition of novel motor skills. This study provides important insights regarding how to approach sports and physical activities.