Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) has emerged as a minimally invasive form of cortical stimulation, with exciting potential for exercise performance. However, it is unknown whether this simple technique has similar effects on exercise performance in men and women. This void in the literature is significant because sex differences in the modulation of human cortical plasticity have been well established by previous TDCS studies. Purpose: To investigate the effects of acute TDCS on exercise performance and psychophysiological responses to incremental exercise in recreational female runners. Methods: Recreationally trained women (N = 12) completed ramp incremental exercise tests from rest to volitional exhaustion, following 20-min of brain stimulation with either placebo TDCS (sham) or real TDCS (cathodal and anodal) applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) region. Pulmonary gas exchange and ventilation, and muscle oxygenation and hemodynamics data were collected continuously during the ramp exercise test. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and affective valence in response to the ramp exercise test were also measured. Results: Compared with sham, neither anodal TDCS nor cathodal TDCS altered exercise tolerance and related physiological responses to incremental exercise (P>0.05). Similarly, RPE and affective responses during the ramp exercise test did not differ between the three experimental conditions at any time (P>0.05). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that acute TDCS applied over the M1 region did not impact exercise performance and psychophysiological responses to incremental exercise in recreationally trained women.
Background: La stimolazione transcranica a corrente diretta (TDCS) è emersa come una forma minimamente invasiva di stimolazione corticale, con un potenziale entusiasmante per le prestazioni di esercizio. Tuttavia, non è noto se questa semplice tecnica ha effetti simili sulle prestazioni di esercizio in uomini e donne. Questo vuoto nella letteratura è significativo, perché le differenze di sesso nella modulazione della plasticità corticale umana sono state ben stabilite da precedenti studi TDCS. Scopo: Studiare gli effetti della TDCS acuta sulla performance dell'esercizio e sulle risposte psicofisiologiche all'esercizio incrementale in podiste donne che praticano attività amatoriale. Metodi: Donne moderatamente allenate (N = 12) hanno completato prove di esercizio incrementale a rampa, dal riposo all'esaurimento volitivo, dopo 20 minuti di stimolazione cerebrale con TDCS placebo (sham) o TDCS reale (catodica e anodica) applicata sulla regione della corteccia motoria primaria (M1). Lo scambio di gas polmonari, la ventilazione, l'ossigenazione muscolare e i dati emodinamici sono stati raccolti continuamente durante il test di esercizio a rampa. Sono state misurate anche le valutazioni dello sforzo percepito (RPE) e la valenza affettiva in risposta al test di esercizio a rampa. Risultati: Rispetto alla sham, né la TDCS anodica né la TDCS catodica hanno alterato la tolleranza all'esercizio e le relative risposte fisiologiche all'esercizio incrementale (P>0.05). Allo stesso modo, RPE e risposte affettive durante il test di esercizio a rampa non differivano tra le tre condizioni sperimentali in qualsiasi momento (P>0.05). Conclusioni: I nostri risultati dimostrano che la TDCS acuta, applicata sulla regione M1, non ha avuto un impatto sulle prestazioni di esercizio e sulle risposte psicofisiologiche all'esercizio incrementale in donne allenate in modo ricreativo.
Psychophysiological responses to incremental exercise following transcranial direct current stimulation in recreational female runners
PEDRETTI, ANNA CHIARA
2020/2021
Abstract
Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) has emerged as a minimally invasive form of cortical stimulation, with exciting potential for exercise performance. However, it is unknown whether this simple technique has similar effects on exercise performance in men and women. This void in the literature is significant because sex differences in the modulation of human cortical plasticity have been well established by previous TDCS studies. Purpose: To investigate the effects of acute TDCS on exercise performance and psychophysiological responses to incremental exercise in recreational female runners. Methods: Recreationally trained women (N = 12) completed ramp incremental exercise tests from rest to volitional exhaustion, following 20-min of brain stimulation with either placebo TDCS (sham) or real TDCS (cathodal and anodal) applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) region. Pulmonary gas exchange and ventilation, and muscle oxygenation and hemodynamics data were collected continuously during the ramp exercise test. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and affective valence in response to the ramp exercise test were also measured. Results: Compared with sham, neither anodal TDCS nor cathodal TDCS altered exercise tolerance and related physiological responses to incremental exercise (P>0.05). Similarly, RPE and affective responses during the ramp exercise test did not differ between the three experimental conditions at any time (P>0.05). Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that acute TDCS applied over the M1 region did not impact exercise performance and psychophysiological responses to incremental exercise in recreationally trained women.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/13434