Psychophysiological features of cyclic and endurance athletes

Objective of the study was to evaluate the psycho-physiological characteristics and indicators of bioelectrical activity of the cerebral cortex in athletes engaged in cyclic and endurance sports. Men of 17 to 20 years of age divided into two groups (cyclic and endurance athletes) of 20 people each were examined. All athletes were ranked higher than candidate for master of sports. The reference group was made of 40 students (basic health group), who attended physical education classes twice a week and did not have any sports categories. Track and field athletes were proved to have higher lability of the nervous processes. Certain patterns of EEG rhythms are specific for different kinds of sports activity and determine the range of psychophysiological characteristics of the athlete's body. Endurance athletes had a significantly higher level of frontal delta band activity, after the eye-opening test it increased even more and covered all areas of the cortex. A similar trend, but expressed to a lesser degree and with a less pronounced irradiation was observed in the athletes engaged in cyclic sports. Higher frontocentral alpha band activity, especially in the group of endurance athletes, was noted after the eye-opening test.