Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: No Effect on Aerobic Performance, Heart Rate, or Rating of Perceived Exertion in a Progressive Taekwondo-Specific Test
Click name to view affiliation
Search for other papers by Paulo H.C. Mesquita in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Emerson Franchini in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Marco A. Romano-Silva in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Guilherme M. Lage in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Maicon R. Albuquerque in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purpose: To investigate the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) on the aerobic performance, heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of highly trained taekwondo athletes. Methods: Twelve (8 men and 4 women) international/national-level athletes received a-tDCS or sham treatment over the M1 location in a randomized, single-blind crossover design. The stimulation was delivered at 1.5 mA for 15 min using an extracephalic bihemispheric montage. Athletes performed the progressive-specific taekwondo test 10 min after stimulation. HR was monitored continuously during the test, and RPE was registered at the end of each stage and at test cessation. Results: There were no significant differences between sham and a-tDCS in time to exhaustion (14.6 and 14.9, respectively, P = .53, effect size = 0.15) and peak kicking frequency (52 and 53.6, respectively, P = .53, effect size = 0.15) or in HR (P > .05) and RPE responses (P > .05). Conclusions: Extracephalic bihemispheric a-tDCS over M1 did not influence the aerobic performance of taekwondo athletes or their psychophysiological responses, so athletes and staff should be cautious when using it in a direct-to-consumer manner.
Mesquita is with the School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. Franchini is with the Sport Dept, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, and the Australian Inst of Sport, Canberra, Australia. Romano-Silva is with the Dept of Mental Health, and Lage, the Physical Education Dept, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Albuquerque is with the Sports Dept, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
© 2023 Human Kinetics