PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSTICS OF SENSORIMOTOR REACTIONS IN UNIVERSITY HOCKEY PLAYERS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Aim. This study aims to identify the characteristics of sensorimotor reactions in university hockey players at different training periods, depending on playing position and competitive performance. Materials and methods. The study was conducted at the premises of the Research Institute of Olympic Sports and the Scientific Research Laboratory of the Ural State University of Physical Culture. University ice hockey players participated in psychophysiological monitoring of the nervous system (n = 37; 22 forwards, 15 defensemen; mean age 20.10 ± 0.35 years). Their competitive performance was assessed using a range of parameters, including technical and tactical skills, sport-specific and general physical fitness, and game statistics. Based on their performance levels, forwards and defensemen were divided into three subgroups: low-, moderate-, and high-performance players. Psychophysiological diagnostics of sensorimotor integration included the reaction to a moving object test and the noise tolerance test. Results. Sensorimotor monitoring in university ice hockey players showed heterochronic adaptive reactions during the season; adaptive inertia in high-performance forwards during the second competitive mesocycle; and optimal and transitional types of functional fitness in low-performance forwards and defensemen, as determined by model characteristics of qualified team sports athletes (ice hockey). Conclusion. The functioning of the nervous system serves as a sensitive indicator of adaptation to high-intensity competitive activity. Sensorimotor monitoring makes it possible to identify early signs of depletion of adaptive reserves during the macrocycle of sports training.