{"id":76077,"date":"2026-04-20T09:15:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=76077"},"modified":"2026-07-15T16:34:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T20:34:41","slug":"a-game-of-split-second-decisions-putting-health-and-human-performance-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/a-game-of-split-second-decisions-putting-health-and-human-performance-to-the-test\/","title":{"rendered":"A game of split-second decisions: Putting health and human performance to the test"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dr.

Dr. Gary Wilkerson (left) explains the VR testing process as UTC women\u2019s soccer player Elle Wakefield participates in a perceptual decision-making assessment. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

When athletes step onto the field, reacting a fraction of a second too late can be the difference between making a play and sustaining an injury.<\/p>\n

At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, faculty in the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) are studying what drives those split-second decisions and how sleep, mental health and cognitive processing affect performance and injury risk.<\/p>\n

The research is led by Dr. Gary Wilkerson, a professor in the graduate athletic training program who has studied sports injury prevention and cognitive performance for nearly 35 years. Conducted in collaboration with several UTC Athletics programs, most notably the women\u2019s soccer team, the project examines how efficiently athletes process visual information and convert it into physical action.<\/p>\n

For Dr. Eric Hungenberg, the HHP department head, the project aims to help student-athletes better understand how factors beyond practice and conditioning influence what happens on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe research has increasingly focused on educating athletes about the connection between sleep, mental health and performance,\u201d Hungenberg said. \u201cMental health strategy and sleep attentiveness impact performance by maximizing an athlete’s physical capabilities and decision-making during competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UTC

UTC women\u2019s soccer player Sophia Mize participates in VR testing that evaluates how quickly visual information is translated into movement.<\/p><\/div>\n

The work begins with a simple premise: What athletes see\u2014and how quickly their brains interpret it\u2014matters.<\/p>\n

In competition, players constantly process peripheral cues, such as an opponent approaching, a ball changing direction or a teammate moving into space. That ability to perceive and react quickly, often referred to as perceptual decision-making, plays a critical role in both performance and injury prevention.<\/p>\n

Wilkerson\u2019s research examines how efficiently athletes process those cues using a virtual reality headset equipped with eye-tracking technology and motion sensors. Inside the headset, athletes respond to fast-moving visual targets, quickly deciding which direction to lunge and reach for execution of a correct response.<\/p>\n

The system captures reaction time, movement speed and decision accuracy with millisecond precision and measures eye movements, which Wilkerson said are among the most valuable indicators.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re able to do is measure exactly how quickly someone recognizes what they\u2019re seeing and converts that into the correct movement,\u201d said Wilkerson, a member of the National Athletic Trainers\u2019 Association Hall of Fame. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about speed; it\u2019s speed, accuracy and consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n

UTC women\u2019s soccer coach Gavin McKinney said the collaboration has provided another lens for understanding how players perform on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur sport is decision-making and awareness,\u201d McKinney said. \u201cIf this helps them with that cognitive process, it\u2019s beneficial. And if it keeps them healthy, even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soccer players Elle Wakefield, a sophomore defender from Atlanta, and Sophia Mize, a sophomore defender from Ooltewah, Tennessee, said the experience felt disorienting at first.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did not do well my first time,\u201d said Mize, who is majoring in marketing. \u201cYou feel like you\u2019re in a different world and you don\u2019t know your surroundings with the headset on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wakefield, a business finance major and member of the Innovations in Honors program, said the adjustment period is real, but so is the progression.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a second for your eyes to adjust to looking at a screen so close to your face,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we first did it, it was super new. But now it\u2019s really smooth to use.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Performance

Performance metrics\u2014including accuracy, completion time and reaction speed\u2014are displayed from VR-based perceptual testing.<\/p><\/div>\n

The tests may appear simple, Wilkerson explained, but they reveal complex processes occurring in the brain.<\/p>\n

Visual information enters through the eyes, travels to the occipital region and moves through neural pathways that control how quickly athletes recognize and respond to a stimulus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re irritable, when you\u2019re sad, when you\u2019re worrying, it disrupts that synchronization. Processing slows down,\u201d Wilkerson said.<\/p>\n

Those disruptions can lead to hesitation or poor decision-making on the field\u2014moments when athletes freeze or react too late to avoid a collision or an awkward movement.<\/p>\n

The research also examines how sleep quality and mood-related stress influence those neural processes. Using established self-report tools, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, along with cognitive-response data from VR testing, Wilkerson and his colleagues have identified patterns linking sleep, mental health and injury risk.<\/p>\n

In one dataset involving UTC women\u2019s soccer players, athletes who had none of the three risk factors\u2014poor sleep, mood distress or inefficient perceptual decision-making\u2014experienced no injuries during the study period. Athletes with one risk factor had a 23% injury rate. Those with two risk factors saw injuries rise to 60%, and every athlete with all three factors present sustained an injury during the same timeframe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat graded association is pretty striking,\u201d Wilkerson said, noting that the results align with patterns seen in other groups of athletes.<\/p>\n

Across a broader sample that included women\u2019s soccer, women\u2019s basketball and men\u2019s basketball, 27 injuries\u2014including concussions, ankle and foot injuries and knee injuries\u2014were recorded among 21 athletes, reinforcing the consistency of the pattern across sports.<\/p>\n

While injuries are an inevitable part of competitive sports, Wilkerson believes identifying risk factors and improving cognitive readiness can help reduce their frequency and severity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way that we can eliminate injuries,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re always going to occur. But if I have somebody who\u2019s already had two concussions and I can make them just a split second faster to avoid getting that third concussion, that can make a huge difference in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wakefield recalled one early moment when the connection became clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had probably only been doing it for about two weeks and our coach got the results,\u201d she said. \u201cOur goalie had the fastest reaction time, which was super fitting. She had been performing so well, and it was like, \u2018Wait, that makes so much sense.\u2019 It was one of those moments where it all kind of clicked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Close-up

Close-up of handheld controllers used ito measure reaction time, movement and decision-making.<\/p><\/div>\n

Wakefield said that impact is becoming part of her day-to-day experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say it\u2019s not always obvious, but it definitely is there,\u201d Wakefield said. \u201cI wear a Whoop (fitness tracker) and she wears a Garmin, so it tracks our sleep. During the season, it can be hard to prioritize sleep, but I was able to recover really well. That allows me to perform better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both defenders said the focus required during testing has translated into the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m able to focus a lot more in my in-person classes,\u201d Wakefield said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like VR\u2014you have to be so focused when you\u2019re doing it to get the most out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree with that,\u201d Mize said. \u201cI like taking in-person classes more. You have to be present.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the fall 2025 season, the women\u2019s soccer team saw results that reinforced the program\u2019s emphasis on holistic athlete development.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll 27 players on our squad were still available in our conference tournament,\u201d McKinney said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of factors in that\u2014sports medicine, strength staff, load management\u2014but awareness and the things we\u2019re talking about here play a role, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the fall 2025 semester, the women\u2019s soccer program had 15 players with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and the team GPA was 3.79.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just athletic performance,\u201d McKinney said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get them to perform at their highest level in all areas of their life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Movement

Movement patterns for eye gaze (left) and neck motion (right) are displayed across 40 trials of a perceptual decision-making task.<\/p><\/div>\n

At a late-March VR demonstration, Mize and Wakefield showed the testing process, offering a firsthand look at the system.<\/p>\n

Mize said improvement over time has been noticeable, even after time away from testing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would rarely get 40 (out of 40), and I just got one,\u201d she said following the demonstration. \u201cIt was like muscle memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKinney said players regularly complete brief check-ins about their physical and mental state, providing coaches with insight into stress levels, fatigue and other factors that might affect performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone isn\u2019t sleeping well or is dealing with stress, it gives us a starting point for a conversation,\u201d McKinney said.<\/p>\n

Hungenberg said the project represents an example of how academic research can directly benefit students beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think every researcher wants their work to have impact,\u201d Hungenberg said. \u201cThis has been a great example of research that not only generates knowledge but also provides something meaningful to the students we\u2019re working with.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKinney sees that impact reflected in the way athletes think about the game itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cNineteen years ago, it was about wins and losses,\u201d McKinney said. \u201cNow it\u2019s more about the overall success and development of the individual and the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can make your players a little bit smarter and more aware, it\u2019s going to benefit them in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Department of Health and Human Performance<\/a><\/p>\n

Master of Science in Athletic Training<\/a><\/p>\n

UTC Women\u2019s Soccer<\/a><\/p>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

\"UTC

UTC women\u2019s soccer players Elle Wakefield (left) and Sophia Mize.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When athletes step onto the field, reacting a fraction of a second too late can be the difference between making a play and sustaining an injury. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, faculty in the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) are studying what drives those split-second decisions and how sleep, mental health and cognitive processing affect performance and injury risk.<\/p>\n

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