Differential Effects of Physical and Mental Fatigue on Eye-Tracking Metrics in Elite Table Tennis Athletes

This study investigated the differential effects of physical and mental fatigue on eye-tracking metrics and task performance, during a sport-specific table tennis task. Elite table tennis performance requires rapid visuomotor processing and precise gaze control. Fourteen elite male table tennis athletes completed three experimental conditions (baseline, physical and mental fatigue), while performing a standardized forehand topspin task. Eye-tracking measures, including fixations, saccades and pupil diameter, as well as task performance, were recorded. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analyses of variance, with partial eta squared (η2) reported as the effect size. No significant differences were observed in the total number of fixations across conditions (F (2,26) = 1.387, p = 0.268), or in the total number of saccades (F (2,26) = 0.448, p = 0.644), while significant differences were observed in the pupil diameter measurements (F (2,26) = 65.16, p < 0.001). Task performance also did not differ significantly across conditions (F (2,26) = 0.934, p = 0.406). Overall, the findings suggest that fatigue-related changes in eye-tracking measures may not necessarily be accompanied by changes in task performance in elite table tennis athletes. The findings contribute to the understanding of visuomotor behavior under physical and mental fatigue.