Effect of dual-attention task on attack and defensive actions in fencing Gutiérrez Dávila, Marcos Rojas Ruiz, Francisco Javier Gutiérrez Cruz, Carmen Navarro, Enrique Biomechanics motor control dual-attention The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect that the presence of two stimuli that require two different responses (dual-attention) has both, on offensive reaction-response time to a light stimulus, and on defensive response time when the stimulus is a real fencing attack. Twenty-five elite fencers and a fencing master were included in the study. The equipment included four force plates adapted to a scaffold that served as a fencing piste. Two force plates were placed, at the start position, under the fencer’s feet and another two plates were placed under the master’s feet. The results demonstrate that choice reaction time to visual stimuli increases in dual-task conditions with respect to simple reaction time, whereas the mean horizontal force tends to decrease in dual-task. However, when the stimulus was an opponent’s movement, dualtask conditions did not have any effect on the time required to initiate a defensive action. The changes in reaction time when real movements were used as stimuli challenge the validity of the reaction time to visual stimuli paradigm as a predictor of performance in fencing. Also, the results obtained demonstrate that perceptual and attentional processes play a major role in fencer performance in real competition. 2024-10-23T09:31:51Z 2024-10-23T09:31:51Z 2017-05-31 journal article Gutiérrez-Davila, M., Rojas, F.J., Gutiérrez-Cruz, C., Navarro, E. (2017): Effect of dual-attention task on attack and defensive actions in fencing. European Journal of Sport Science. 17(8), 1004-112. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2017.1332100 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/96267 10.1080/17461391.2017.1332100 eng open access Taylor & Francis Group