The practice of judo: how does it relate to different spatial abilities?

The study aimed to examine the relationship between the practice of judo and different spatial abilities. Several individual measures, including spatial tasks and questionnaires on wayfinding inclinations, were administered to 52 judo experts and 45 non-athlete controls. After learning by navigating in a virtual environment, participants were measured on their route retracing and shortcut finding performance. The results showed that judo practitioners had greater spatial abilities (especially in mental rotation) and a stronger sense of direction than controls, but were no better in wayfinding performance. A structural equation model showed that the practice of judo had an indirect effect on wayfinding (inclinations and performance), mediated by spatial abilities. These results are discussed in the theoretical frame of spatial cognition and sport.