Investigation of Variable Exercise Intensities on Coincidence Anticipation Timing

Abstract

Coincidence anticipation timing is the ability to track a moving stimulus and correctly perform a coincident action at the exact moment the stimulus arrives at a target area. For example, a baseball hitter uses his coincidence anticipation timing skills while tracking a baseball from a pitcher’s hand to the exact moment he strikes the ball with his bat. He uses his ability to determine how and when to swing his bat in order to make contact with the ball. Past vision research studies have examined the effects of different exercise intensities on a subject’s dynamic visual acuity, the ability to track a moving object. Since dynamic visual acuity has been one of the only aspects of visual ability examined, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of varying levels of exercise intensities on a performer’s coincidence anticipation timing. Twenty college-aged students’ coincident anticipation ability was tested at rest and during cycling across three varying exercise intensity levels: 30%, 60%, and 90% of maximal heart rate. Coincidence anticipation timing for each of the four experimental conditions was recorded in milliseconds. Each subject's coincident anticipation timing scores were calculated in terms of absolute (magnitude), constant (bias), and variable errors (consistency). Three separate one-way ANOVA analyses were performed for each type of error to determine the effects of the different experimental conditions on coincidence anticipation timing. The results of the study determined if exercise intensity affects one’s ability to accurately perform receptive skills such as hitting or catching with little bias and high reliability.