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

The efficient processing of visual information is crucial to success in rapid sports such as badminton. The current study examined the effects of mental, physical, and dual mental-physical exhaustion on novices’ anticipation, decision-making, eye movements, and working memory consolidation. Thirty-six participants underwent video-based and real-situation tasks before and after completing one of the three exhaustion protocols. The duration and number of fixations for nine areas of interest, response accuracy (anticipation), response time (decision-making), and working memory with the n-back task were evaluated. The study found that mental fatigue affects performance and perceptual-cognitive skills, but mental-physical and physical fatigue were associated with changes in gaze behavior patterns in video-based and real-situation. Anticipation, decision-making, and working memory consolidation were reduced following mental fatigue more than mental-physical and physical fatigue. Additionally, the study was associated with two distinct gaze behaviors for successful and unsuccessful performance. Successful strokes were associated with longer fixation duration on the boundary lines, anticipation areas, and the upper body. The study found that fatigue-induced changes in gaze behavior and successful and unsuccessful performance were associated with two distinct gaze behaviors, and the gaze behavior patterns were different in video-based and real-situation. Understanding how fatigue was related to these mental processes is essential for optimizing performance in various tasks, from daily activities to high-pressure sports fields.