Embodied Cognition influence Sport Performance: a brief review

Abstract

Focusing on how one’s own body influences one’s perception is a central theme of embodied cognition. The idea begins with the recognition that through extensive practice, the bodies of athletes become more skilled at performing certain skills. In turn, the brains of these athletes, and in particular their mirror neurons, tune in to recognize actions of a particular type. This setup allows athletes to perceive movements, or movement patterns, that remain invisible to novices.

This coupling between athletic performance and perception has implications for the psychology of sport. Sports psy- chologists have noted the importance of these ideas in their efforts to understand athletic performance, thus helping to expand and develop research programs in the field of embodied cognition.