Countermovement Jump Performance Is Altered by Visual and Auditory Cognitive Dual Tasking in Recreationally Active Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

In sports settings, it is important to understand and assess the effects of cognitive-motor interference on sport-specific tasks throughout strength and conditioning programs to better represent the athletic environment. This study used a low-cost movement assessment system, the Mizzou Point-of-care Assessment System, to measure the effects of visual and auditory cognitive-motor dual tasking on countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. Thirty-one recreationally active adults (21.1 [1.9] y, 168.9 [11.8] cm, 69.1 [13.6] kg) participated. Participants performed 3 trials of CMJ under 3 conditions: control, audio dual tasking, and visual dual tasking. Tasks were assessed using a low-cost system comprising a custom force plate, depth camera, and interface board. Repeated-measures analysis of variance with post hoc t tests revealed significant decreases in several kinematic and kinetic outcome measures, including time in the concentric phase (in seconds; 95% CI mean difference audio-control = -0.045 to 0.0054; visual-control = -0.045 to 0.0054), time to takeoff (in seconds; audio-control = -0.026 to 0.086; visual-control = -0.026 to 0.086), jump height (in meters; audio-control = -0.0081 to 0.048; visual-control = -0.01 to 0.05), maximum knee flexion (in degrees) at jump (audio-control = 1.47 to 9.89; visual-control = -1.58 to 9.66), hip flexion (in degrees) at maximum knee flexion during jump (audio-control = 0.00 [0.00 to 0.00]; visual-control = 0.00 [0.00 to 0.00]), and several others for both dual tasking conditions compared with control but not between audio and visual conditions. Results indicate that both dual task conditions negatively impact CMJ performance and that their effects can be effectively quantified using a low-cost assessment tool.