Sport expertise and physical exercise are associated with “hot” executive functioning: An electrophysiological examination of reward processing in collegiate athletes

Objective: Prior research has revealed potential effects of sports expertise and physical exercise on cognition, though there is limited research examining their effects on the “hot,” emotional-processing aspects of executive functioning (e.g., valence and reward processing important for decision-making). The present study aimed to address this gap by examining event-related brain potentials (ERPs) during a reward-processing task in athletes versus non-athletes, while also investigating if sport expertise and exercise influence this electrophysiological response. Method: A total of 45 participants, including 22 athletes (55% women, 45% men) and 23 non-athlete controls (57% women, 43% men) between the ages of 18–27, completed a “virtual T-maze” environment task involving a rewarded forced choice that elicits the reward positivity (Rew-P), an ERP component associated with reward processing. Rew-P peak amplitude was compared between groups, and both sport expertise and frequency of strenuous exercise were investigated as potential predictors of the Rew-P in athletes. Results: No significant Rew-P differences were found between athletes and controls (t = −1.43, p = .16, d = −.43). However, frequency of strenuous exercise (β = −.51, p = .01) and sport expertise (β = −.48, p = .01) each accounted for a significant proportion of variability in the Rew-P peak amplitude in athletes. Conclusions: Results indicate that, for young adults, sport expertise and physical exercise may each account for heightened electrophysiological reward sensitivity in athletes. Potential implications are discussed for decision-making, an integral cognitive process in sports that is driven by reward processing, and the role of reward-seeking and motivation in sport proficiency.