The impact of high-intensity arm crank exercise on reaction time in wheelchair fencers: gender differences and mechanical predictors

Abstract

Abstract To achieve high performance, wheelchair fencing (WF) athletes are required to exhibit good physiological and timing indicators. The main aims of this study were to assess the relationship between the results of the repeated sprint ability (RSA) test and reaction time (RT) in WF, and to evaluate changes in RT after repeated high-intensity sprints in the group of an international-level WF athletes. This experimental study involved 18 athletes (aged 34.6 ± 7.70) from the Paralympic WF team. To establish the impact of fatigue on psychomotor capacity, the participants undergo a series of tests. At the beginning of the study, first reaction time (RT1) was measured. Afterwards, the RSA test was performed using the arm crank ergometer to evaluate the participants’ repeated sprint ability. Immediately after RSA, the second reaction time (RT2) was measured. Statistical analysis revealed moderate correlations between the RT2 and total work, decrease of work (DW), highest peak power, mean peak power, and highest peak power/kg, but these correlations were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). All fencers achieved a significantly shorter average RT2 (p < 0.005) after the RSA test (0.383 ± 0.035 s) than before the test (0.391 ± 0.038 s). Additionally, RT2 was significantly shorter than RT1 in the women's group (p < 0.001). Moreover, males had significantly greater values of repeated sprint ability parameters: highest work, total work, decrease of work and highest peak power (p < 0.05) than females. To conclude, repeated high-intensity arm crank exercise has a positive impact on simple postexercise cognitive tasks in WF fencers, especially in women, and leads to a decrease in RT. The RSA parameters can be predictors of changes in RT in men and women wheelchair fencers.