Background Dynamic balance and cognitive tasks are intricately linked, and their synergistic interplay is indispensable for a wide range of athletic performances. Aims The primary goal of this study was to identify whether performing a cognitive task can affect the performance of dynamic balance in collegiate female athletes Methods Thirty-five collegiate female athletes, including 14 badminton players and 21 volleyball players, voluntarily participated in the study. The experiment involved dynamic balance exercises (i.e., frontal, and sagittal balance) on a wobble board, conducted both with and without mental rotation tasks using object-based 3D cube and human body. The center of mass sway velocity and displacement were assessed for balance tasks, and the response time and error percentage were recorded for mental rotation tasks. Results Repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant interaction between frontal, sagittal balance, and sports in cube mental rotation condition. Also, there is a significant interaction between frontal balance and sport in human mental rotation condition. In addition, there is a difference between sports (i.e., volleyball and badminton) in the sway displacement in all conditions. Furthermore, there is a significant difference between conditions (i.e., without and with mental rotation) in sagittal and frontal plane balance, both in sway velocity and displacement. Conclusions In summary, beneficial effect on dynamic balance (i.e., frontal and sagittal balance) was shown in mental rotation conditions involving object-based 3D cubes and human figures. Our findings suggest that physical and cognitive tasks may compete for cognitive resources, signifying potential areas for targeted training and rehabilitation strategies.
© Copyright 2025 Sport Sciences for Health. Springer. All rights reserved.