Investigation of the Effects of Motor Imagery to Facilitate Sensorimotor Re-Learning Training on Performance and Heart Rate Variability in Adolescent Basketball Players

Motor imagery is defined as the mental process of simulating a certain action without any movement. In one study, researchers showed that motor imagery training activates the sensorimotor system and that brain plasticity resulting from actual movement execution also occurs as a result of motor imagery. When the literature is examined, it has been reported in studies that muscle strength may increase as a result of imagery training. However, there are also studies reporting that imagery training is effective on performance in basketball players.

Dynamic motor imagery, on the other hand, is a type of motor imagery in which the athletes adopt a harmonious body position and embody the spatial and/or temporal invariants of the movement without fully realizing it. According to a study, dynamic imagery training has a positive effect on free throw performance in basketball players. To facilitate sensorimotor relearning, which is a new training model, motor imagery training is an approach that approaches athletes with a holistic perspective, combining both physical exercises and dynamic motor imagery training. In a study, it was reported that training is more fun than just physical exercises . When the literature is examined; no study has been found examining the effects of motor imagery training on performance and heart rate changes in order to facilitate sensorimotor relearning in adolescent basketball players.