Multisensory training: motor learning and sports performance in young athletes

Abstract

The article proposes a review of the international literature concerning sensory stimulation in a sport training context of adolescent athletes. The investigation focuses on the analysis of the effects of a multisensory stimulation on the motor learning of young athletes and, consequently, on the sport performance, working on skills such as predictive ability, anticipation, reactivity, response accuracy, information acquisition, but also, muscle strength and power, balance and coordination. On the basis of scientific evidence collected, a protocol of intervention, supplementary to conventional training sessions, is proposed, based on the use of specific instruments, such as stroboscopic glasses, vibro-acoustic poufs and audio-visual material. Future developments move towards measuring the effectiveness of the intervention on a sample of adolescent athletes, evaluating the impact on performance and on constructs of self-esteem, self-efficacy and school learning.