Presenter(s)
Caleb Forst and Christopher Mayer
Abstract
Introduction: Neurocognitive reaction time plays a critical role in football performance by influencing perceptual processing speed, decision-making, and motor execution. Slower reaction time has been associated with increased injury risk and reduced neuromuscular control, yet limited longitudinal research exists within Division II collegiate football populations. This study examined whether a 10-week smart reaction training program improves reaction time and whether these improvements are associated with performance outcomes, measured by the number of accurate hits. Methods: Thirty-one athletes from the Winona State Football team began the intervention and were divided into position groups (QB, WR, DL, OL); 19 completed the study. Upper-extremity reaction time and total hits were measured weekly using a six-light stimulus system across three 30-second trials. Paired t-tests (differences between two related measurements), repeated-measures ANOVA (differences across multiple time points), effect sizes (magnitude of differences), correlations (strength and direction of relationships between variables), and regression analyses (predicting outcomes from variables) were conducted (α = .05). Results: Reaction time significantly improved from 805.75 ± 103.75 ms to 640.95 ± 41.44 ms (−19.34%), p < .001. Hits increased from 30.21 ± 4.05 to 37.16 ± 2.19 (+25.39%), p < .001. Improvements in reaction time were strongly correlated with improvements in hits (r = −0.878, p < .001), and baseline performance predicted the magnitude of change (R² = 0.857 for reaction time; R² = 0.786 for hits). Conclusion: These findings suggest that reaction time is trainable and strongly associated with task performance in collegiate football athletes.
College
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Department
Health, Exercise & Rehabilitative Sciences
Campus
Winona
First Advisor/Mentor
Becky Heinert
Location
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Start Date
4-23-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-23-2026 3:00 PM
Presentation Type
Poster Session
Format of Presentation or Performance
In-Person
Session
2b=2pm-3pm
Poster Number
20
Does Improved Reaction Time Correlate With Improvements in Sport Performance? A 10-Week Smart Reaction Training Intervention in Division II Collegiate Football Athletes
Kryzsko Great River Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota; United States
Introduction: Neurocognitive reaction time plays a critical role in football performance by influencing perceptual processing speed, decision-making, and motor execution. Slower reaction time has been associated with increased injury risk and reduced neuromuscular control, yet limited longitudinal research exists within Division II collegiate football populations. This study examined whether a 10-week smart reaction training program improves reaction time and whether these improvements are associated with performance outcomes, measured by the number of accurate hits. Methods: Thirty-one athletes from the Winona State Football team began the intervention and were divided into position groups (QB, WR, DL, OL); 19 completed the study. Upper-extremity reaction time and total hits were measured weekly using a six-light stimulus system across three 30-second trials. Paired t-tests (differences between two related measurements), repeated-measures ANOVA (differences across multiple time points), effect sizes (magnitude of differences), correlations (strength and direction of relationships between variables), and regression analyses (predicting outcomes from variables) were conducted (α = .05). Results: Reaction time significantly improved from 805.75 ± 103.75 ms to 640.95 ± 41.44 ms (−19.34%), p < .001. Hits increased from 30.21 ± 4.05 to 37.16 ± 2.19 (+25.39%), p < .001. Improvements in reaction time were strongly correlated with improvements in hits (r = −0.878, p < .001), and baseline performance predicted the magnitude of change (R² = 0.857 for reaction time; R² = 0.786 for hits). Conclusion: These findings suggest that reaction time is trainable and strongly associated with task performance in collegiate football athletes.
