Mental and physical fatigue altered working memory consolidation and impaired gaze behavior and perceptual-cognitive skills using video-based and real-situation

Farahani, Faezeh Khoshdouni; Dehkordi, Parvaneh Shamsipour; Khalaji, Maryam Ahmadi Nahre; Alboghebeish, Saeed; Kurnaz, Mert; Altınkök, Mustafa · 2026 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-40994-6

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Summary

This study investigated how mental, physical, and combined mental-physical fatigue affect perceptual-cognitive skills, gaze behavior, and working memory consolidation in novice badminton players. The research was motivated by the critical role of visual information processing in rapid racket sports and the need to distinguish between the distinct mechanisms of mental and physical fatigue. Specifically, the authors aimed to determine if mental fatigue impairs cognitive performance more severely than physical fatigue and whether these effects differ between simulated video-based tasks and real-game situations. The experimental design involved 36 female novice participants divided into three groups: mental fatigue, physical fatigue, and combined mental-physical fatigue. Mental fatigue was induced via a 60-minute Stroop task, physical fatigue through a 60-minute high-intensity sprint protocol, and combined fatigue via a split 30-minute protocol of both. Participants completed video-based anticipation tasks and real-situation badminton tasks before and after the fatigue induction. Data collection utilized 120 Hz eye-tracking to measure fixation number and duration across nine areas of interest, a 1-back task to assess working memory, and response metrics for anticipation accuracy and decision-making time. Statistical analysis employed mixed ANOVA to evaluate interactions between fatigue type, task condition, and experimental phase. The results indicated that all fatigue conditions altered gaze behavior, characterized by increased fixation numbers and reduced fixation durations, suggesting less efficient visual search strategies. However, mental fatigue had a more pronounced negative impact on perceptual-cognitive skills than physical or combined fatigue. Specifically, anticipation accuracy, decision-making speed, and working memory consolidation were significantly reduced following mental fatigue. In contrast, physical and combined fatigue primarily disrupted gaze patterns without causing the same degree of decline in cognitive metrics. The study also identified distinct gaze behaviors associated with successful versus unsuccessful performance; successful strokes correlated with longer fixation durations on boundary lines, anticipation areas, and the opponent’s upper body. These fatigue-induced changes in gaze and cognition were observed in both video-based and real-situation contexts, though the patterns differed between the two environments. The findings underscore that mental fatigue directly compromises attentional control and working memory, thereby impairing anticipation and decision-making more severely than physical exhaustion. This distinction is significant for sports science, suggesting that cognitive load management is crucial for maintaining performance in high-speed sports. Furthermore, the identification of specific gaze behaviors linked to success provides actionable insights for training interventions. The study highlights the importance of considering both the type of fatigue and the ecological validity of the testing environment when optimizing athlete performance and recovery strategies.

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