Mental fatigue and map memory performance show cognitive resilience through orienteering expertise

Objective : Mental fatigue is known to impair cognitive performance during exercise. This study aims to investigate the impact of mental fatigue on the map-reading memory processing of orienteers and to explore whether the expert advantage developed through long-term specific training can translate into effective cognitive resilience under fatigued conditions. Methods : A 2 (Group: expert group, novice group) × 2 (Time: pre-fatigue, post-fatigue) mixed experimental design was employed. Thirty national level 2 and above elite orienteers (expert group) and 35 novice orienteers completed a 45-minute Stroop task to induce mental fatigue. Before and after the fatigue induction, participants' behavioral performance, eye movement metrics during a map-reading memory task were measured synchronously, along with prefrontal/temporal cortex activation collected via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results : Following mental fatigue, the accuracy of both groups decreased significantly, and reaction times were prolonged. Eye movement metrics indicated reduced visual search efficiency, as evidenced by increased pupil diameter and blink count. Concurrently, significant increases in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration were observed in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left frontal pole area, and right temporal lobe, indicating the emergence of a neural compensatory mechanism. Critically, under the fatigued state, the expert group was able to maintain superior behavioral performance and oculomotor stability compared to the novice group, demonstrating stronger cognitive resilience. Conclusion : Mental fatigue significantly impairs the map-reading memory efficiency of orienteers. However, expert orienteers exhibit a marked cognitive advantage, characterized by behavioral and oculomotor stability, which benefits from more efficient neural resource mobilization. These findings underscore the importance of cognitive resilience developed through long-term training and offer insights into mitigating the negative effects of mental fatigue through specific practice.