MENTAL CHRONOMETRY IN TABLE TENNIS PLAYERS AND FOOTBALL PLAYERS: WHO HAVE FASTER REACTION TIME?

Background & objectives: Mental chronometry uses response time in perceptual-motor tasks to understand cognitive operations. The time duration from application of a stimulus to onset of a response is known as Reaction Time. Studies have shown that table tennis (TT) players & football players have faster reaction times than those who do not play TT or football. Therefore, this study was undertaken to compare Auditory Reaction Time (ART) in young TT players and football players. Methods: Total 90 participants (30 TT players, 30 football players and 30 controls) volunteered for this study. ART was measured in all the participants by reaction time instrument available in the department of Physiology. Data analysis was carried out using MS Excel 2007 and SPSS version 21 applying appropriate statistical tests. Results: Our study showed that TT players had faster ART than healthy controls. Also, football players had faster ART than healthy controls. But TT players had faster ART than football players. Interpretation & conclusion: Persons involved in physical sports such as TT & football have good reaction times. Thus, playing of TT & football is beneficial to eye-hand reaction time & co-ordination. TT players have better reaction times than football players.