The Effects Of Interactive Metronome Training On Female Soccer Players Timing Ability

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate how timing training by Interactive Metronome ® (IM) affects motor timing and rhythmicity in soccer players. Twenty-four female soccer players (age 19 ± 2.8) participated, and were randomly assigned to either a control or an IM training group. All participants took part in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session before the start of the training period, to find out what brain areas are activated during different tempos. The fMRI outcomes indicate that some of the active areas are the inferior parietal cortex (BA 40), frontal/SMA and precentral cortex and postcentral (BA 6) and inferior frontal cortex (BA 45). Pre- and post-measurements of motor timing deviation and variability was made. The result shows that after four week of IM training a significant improvement of motor timing was found for the IM group in comparison to the control group. The findings indicate that timing training can improve timing ability in healthy sport perpetrators.