The Effects of Either a Mirror, Internal or External Focus Instructions on Single and Multi-Joint Tasks

Israel Halperin, Steven Hughes, Derek Panchuk, Chris Abbiss and Dale W Chapman

PLOS ONE, 2016, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: Training in front of mirrors is common, yet little is known about how the use of mirrors effects muscle force production. Accordingly, we investigated how performing in front of a mirror influences performance in single and multi-joint tasks, and compared the mirror condition to the established performance effects of internal focus (IF) and external focus (EF) instructions in a two part experiment. In the single-joint experiment 28 resistance-trained participants (14 males and 14 females) completed two elbow flexion maximal voluntary isometric contractions under four conditions: mirror, IF, EF and neutral instructions. During these trials, surface EMG activity of the biceps and triceps were recorded. In the multi-joint experiment the same participants performed counter-movement jumps on a force plate under the same four conditions. Single-joint experiment: EF led to greater normalized force production compared to all conditions (P≤0.02, effect-size range [ES] = 0.46–1.31). No differences were observed between neutral and mirror conditions (P = 0.15, ES = 0.15), but both were greater than IF (P

Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0166799

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166799

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