A New Dual Task Test Method for Football Players

Multitasking (Dual Task) is a measurement method to evaluate cognitive ability to execute multiple functions at the same time. To perform this test, while participant/patient performing a main skill (for example, walking), a cognitive skill is added (for example, counting 7 backwards from 100) to measure how much the completion performance of the activity is affected. Frequently used multitasking trainings are known as counting back from 100 and asking mathematical equations during a physical skill. Multitasking skill is rarely used in sports-related training, and it is generally used in the form of counting 7 backwards from 100, counting months and counting 5-letter words while walking over obstacles. However, multitasking training methods described and applied in the literature are not specific to football skills. For this reason, limited tests defined and applied in other clinical and sportive fields may not be sufficient in football players who perform activities that require high performance. Therefore, aim of this study is to develop a dual-task assessment method, which includes the cognitive loads experienced by football players during training and matches, and also covers the basic skills of football. As a result of this study, a football-specific dual-task test will be created and the capacity of the athletes will be measured by applying this test to healthy athletes. Also, this test will be conducted on football players with recent knee injury history, who wish to return to sport, and to evaluate their dual-task capacity and to correlate it with kinesiophobia and other performance tests