How Can We Measure Athletes’ Cognitive Performance? The Answer Might Be in VR-Based Testing

In recent years, running clubs, cycling groups, and triathlon teams have become an incredible source of social connection, especially in big cities. Many people join these communities just to socialize, but from what I’ve seen, regular participation in such sports activities contributes significantly to work performance, focus, and decision-making skills. I wanted to explore this topic from a more scientific angle because a recent study we conducted revealed some fascinating insights.

In endurance sports like triathlon, mental resilience is just as important as physical fitness. It's not just about muscles—it’s about the mind too. During a race, athletes must make multiple decisions simultaneously: pacing, nutrition strategy, environmental awareness, keeping track of rankings… This is where working memory, a crucial cognitive capacity, comes into play. As a sports scientist, I wanted to find a way to evaluate this skill more objectively and under conditions that reflect real-life demands. Together with my advisor, Adil Deniz Duru, we designed a study to do just that.

In this study, we used both the traditional computer-based N-Back test and a more immersive and realistic virtual reality setup called VR-ATC. We worked with 20 triathletes and 20 sedentary individuals, matched by age and education level. The goal was to see how regular exercise affects performance in mentally demanding and stressful situations.

The results were clearer than we anticipated. In the VR-based test, athletes outperformed non-athletes significantly in verbal memory, attention, and task-switching abilities. Compared to traditional tests, the VR system offered a much more realistic sense of engagement, improving the quality of the measurements. The VR-ATC environment simulates the kind of multitasking athletes experience in a real race. In essence, it feels like a race scenario. 

What I love most about this study is that it’s not just theoretical. Currently, I’m serving on the Scientific Committee of the Turkish Triathlon Federation, and we are actively developing a plan to implement this testing system more systematically—especially for younger athletes. VR-based testing reaches cognitive layers that traditional tests simply can’t. It goes beyond simple number or word recall, covering areas like environmental awareness, reaction time, and decision-making speed.

I truly believe that working memory is a trainable ability, just like VO2max or muscular strength. If assessed correctly and nurtured properly, it can improve not only athletic performance but also academic, professional, and everyday life outcomes. That’s why I put it at the center of both my scientific work and athlete coaching.

VR technology is opening a new chapter in sports science. The ability to integrate mental resilience into physical training is now within reach—and I believe it’s going to become even more essential in the future.