Do high-level badminton players show broad executive-function advantages? Evidence from a multi-task assessment

Background Cognitive differences across badminton performance levels may be task-specific rather than reflect broad executive-function advantages. Methods Ninety-six participants (33 high-level players, 31 recreational players and 32 non-badminton participants) completed word-color matching, task switching, 1-back and Raven testing. Analyses adjusted for sex, age and Raven score. Task-level MANCOVAs used Pillai’s trace, with HC3-adjusted RT models and binomial mixed models for follow-up comparisons. Additional models distinguished 1-back timeouts from accuracy among answered trials. Results Overall group effects were significant for word-color matching ( p < 0.001) and 1-back ( p = 0.011), but not task switching ( p = 0.592). High-level players responded faster in both word-color conditions than both comparison groups. Condition, response hand and response frequency were confounded, preventing an isolated interpretation of the condition RT contrast. In 1-back, timeout rates were 40.45%, 36.92% and 48.21% in the high-level, recreational and non-badminton groups; both badminton groups had lower adjusted timeout rates than the non-badminton group in both conditions. Accuracy among answered trials showed no clear group differences, and correct-response RT did not differ significantly ( p = 0.572). All-trial accuracy findings were sensitive to model specification. Conclusion High-level players showed faster word-color matching, and both badminton groups had fewer timeouts in the deadline-constrained 1-back task. The findings indicate task-specific performance differences rather than a broad executive-function advantage.