International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, May 1, 2020
Purpose: Several studies have examined the effect of MF on sport performance, but no studies have... more Purpose: Several studies have examined the effect of MF on sport performance, but no studies have been conducted on badminton performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine the acute effect of mental fatigue (MF) on badminton performance in elite players. Methods: In total, 19 elite Danish badminton players completed 2 test days in randomized order, separated by 48 h. On day 1, to elicit MF, a 60-min incongruent Stroop task was performed. On day 2, 60 min of an emotionally neutral documentary was used for the control condition. After either condition, subjects performed a badminton-specific test (BST) where performance time was measured, as well as countermovement-jump height, heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and lactate. Psychological questionnaires were answered under both conditions. Results: Subjects were significantly more mentally fatigued (P = .002) after the Stroop intervention than in the control. No differences between conditions were detected in the BST (control 32.43 [1.96] vs MF 32.43 [2.36] s; P = .99, Student t test). In addition, no effect of condition (P = .64), time (P = .14), or condition × time (P = .87) was found (2-way analysis of variance). Furthermore, no differences in heart rate, countermovement jump, or rating of perceived exertion were observed between conditions. Lactate showed no effect of condition (P = .46). Conclusion: Despite being more mentally fatigued after the Stroop test than in the control condition, performance was not negatively affected during a BST. In addition, no differences in physiological measures were observed.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Jun 1, 2019
The purpose of this study was to determine if 3D MOT training increases in-game performance durin... more The purpose of this study was to determine if 3D MOT training increases in-game performance during a competitive season. METHODS: 79 athletes from four NCAA DIII collegiate athletic teams (ice hockey n=34; lacrosse n=45) participated. Athletes were assigned to either a 3D MOT (n=38) training intervention or control (C) group (n=41). Athletes completed 24 sessions of 3D MOT training, 2-4 times per week over 12 weeks during the respective competitive seasons. At the conclusion of the seasons, independent samples t-tests were used to compare performance measures (game statistics) between 3D MOT and C groups for ice hockey (men's and women's combined), men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in performance measures between 3D MOT and C groups for ice hockey (p>0.05). For men's lacrosse, faceoff winning percentage was significantly different (p=0.000) with the C group having a greater faceoff winning percentage versus the 3D MOT group (30% vs. 0%). For all other performance measures there were no significant differences (p>0.05) between groups. For women's lacrosse, there were significant differences for assists (p=0.045), points (p=0.034), shots (p=0.035), and free-position shots (p =0.014) with the 3D MOT group having lower values versus C. CONCLUSIONS: Athletic performance is multifactorial in uncontrolled environments such as competitive ice hockey and lacrosse, which may suggest that performance benefits of 3D MOT training may be overshadowed by the complexities of game play. The significant differences found between groups may be due to player skill differences versus a 3D MOT effect. Further research is warranted to determine the effectiveness of 3D MOT training and its impact on sport performance. * Significantly different compared to pre-training (P<0.05).
European Journal of Applied Physiology, Mar 11, 2010
In exercise physiology, it has been traditionally assumed that high-intensity aerobic exercise st... more In exercise physiology, it has been traditionally assumed that high-intensity aerobic exercise stops at the point commonly called exhaustion because fatigued subjects are no longer able to generate the power output required by the task despite their maximal voluntary eVort. We tested the validity of this assumption by measuring maximal voluntary cycling power before (mean § SD, 1,075 § 214 W) and immediately after (731 § 206 W) (P < 0.001) exhaustive cycling exercise at 242 § 24 W (80% of peak aerobic power measured during a preliminary incremental exercise test) in ten Wt male human subjects. Perceived exertion during exhaustive cycling exercise was strongly correlated (r = ¡0.82, P = 0.003) with time to exhaustion (10.5 § 2.1 min). These results challenge the long-standing assumption that muscle fatigue causes exhaustion during high-intensity aerobic exercise, and suggest that exercise tolerance in highly motivated subjects is ultimately limited by perception of eVort.
Background Occupational stress has huge nancial as well as human costs. Application of crowdsourc... more Background Occupational stress has huge nancial as well as human costs. Application of crowdsourcing might be a way to strengthen the investigation of occupational mental health. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess Danish employees' stress and cognition by relying on a crowdsourcing approach, as well as investigating the effect of a 30-day mindfulness and music intervention. Methods We translated well-validated neuropsychological laboratory-and task-based paradigms into an appbased platform using cognitive games measuring mind wandering and working memory and measuring
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, May 1, 2023
Purpose: Mental fatigue (MF) can impair physical performance in sport. We tested the hypothesis t... more Purpose: Mental fatigue (MF) can impair physical performance in sport. We tested the hypothesis that cognitive load alone, and intermixed with standard resistance training, would induce MF, increase rating of perceived exertion (RPE), alter perception of weight lifting and training, and impair cycling time-trial performance. Methods: This 2-part study employed a within-participant design. In part 1, after establishing leg-extension 1-repetition maximum (1RM), 16 participants lifted and briefly held weights at 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of 1RM. RPE and electromyography (EMG) were measured for each lift. During the testing sessions, participants completed cognitive tasks (MF condition) or watched neutral videos (control condition) for 90 minutes before lifting the weights. In part 2, they completed submaximal resistance training comprising 6 weight training exercises followed by a 20-minute cycling time trial. In the MF condition, they completed cognitive tasks before and between weight training exercises. In the control condition, they watched neutral videos. Mood (Brunel Mood Scale), workload (National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index), MF-visual analogue scale (MF-VAS), RPE, psychomotor vigilance, distance cycled, power output, heart rate, and blood lactate were measured. Results: In part 1, the cognitive task increased lift-induced RPE (P = .011), increased MF-VAS (P = .002), and altered mood (P &lt; .001) compared with control. EMG did not differ between conditions. In part 2, the cognitive tasks increased RPE (P &lt; .001), MF-VAS (P &lt; .001), and mental workload (P &lt; .001), but reduced cycling time-trial power (P = .032) and distance (P = .023) compared with control. Heart rate and blood lactate did not differ between conditions. Conclusion: A state of MF induced by cognitive load, alone or intermixed with physical load, increased RPE during weight lifting and training and impaired subsequent cycling performance.
The capacity to sustain high-intensity aerobic exercise is essential for endurance performance. T... more The capacity to sustain high-intensity aerobic exercise is essential for endurance performance. Therefore, it is important to understand what is the factor limiting time to exhaustion (TTE) in healthy and fit adults. In Study 1, maximal voluntary cycling power (MVCP) was measured in 11 volunteers before and immediately after a high-intensity TTE test on cycle ergometer. Cadence was 60 rpm in both the MVCP and TTE tests. Despite a 35% loss in MVCP, power produced during the final MVCP test (mean ± SD 469 ± 111 W) was significantly higher than the power required by the TTE test (269 ± 55 W) (P &lt; 0.001). In Study 2, 12 participants performed a cold pressor test (CPT) to the limit of tolerance followed by a high-intensity TTE test on cycle ergometer. Ratings of pain unpleasantness (RPU) during the TTE test were anchored to the unpleasantness of pain experienced during the CPT. On average, the RPU was 9.7 ± 0.4 at completion of the CPT and 5.0 ± 0.9 at exhaustion during the TTE test. The difference between these two ratings of pain unpleasantness was statistically significant (P &lt; 0.001). In both Studies 1 and 2, the slope of the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during the TTE test correlated significantly with TTE (r = -0.75 and -0.83, P &lt; 0.01). Results of this two-part investigation suggest that perception of effort, rather than severe locomotor muscle fatigue or intolerably unpleasant muscle pain, is the cardinal exercise stopper during high-intensity aerobic exercise.
Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive act... more Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity. Although the impact of mental fatigue on cognitive and skilled performance is well known, its effect on physical performance has not been thoroughly investigated. In this randomized crossover study, 16 subjects cycled to exhaustion at 80% of their peak power output after 90 min of a demanding cognitive task (mental fatigue) or 90 min of watching emotionally neutral documentaries (control). After experimental treatment, a mood questionnaire revealed a state of mental fatigue (P ϭ 0.005) that significantly reduced time to exhaustion (640 Ϯ 316 s) compared with the control condition (754 Ϯ 339 s) (P ϭ 0.003). This negative effect was not mediated by cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic factors as physiological responses to intense exercise remained largely unaffected. Self-reported success and intrinsic motivation related to the physical task were also unaffected by prior cognitive activity. However, mentally fatigued subjects rated perception of effort during exercise to be significantly higher compared with the control condition (P ϭ 0.007). As ratings of perceived exertion increased similarly over time in both conditions (P Ͻ 0.001), mentally fatigued subjects reached their maximal level of perceived exertion and disengaged from the physical task earlier than in the control condition. In conclusion, our study provides experimental evidence that mental fatigue limits exercise tolerance in humans through higher perception of effort rather than cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic mechanisms. Future research in this area should investigate the common neurocognitive resources shared by physical and mental activity. exercise performance; endurance; perceived exertion; motivation MENTAL FATIGUE is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity and characterized by subjective feelings of "tiredness" and "lack of energy" (9). The effects of mental fatigue on cognitive performance (7, 8, 14, 38, 41, 66-68) and the skilled performance of drivers and air pilots (25, 36) have been extensively investigated. An increasing number of studies are also revealing the neural alterations caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity in both health (8, 38, 39, 41, 64) and disease (14). On the contrary, the impact of mental fatigue on subsequent physical performance remains largely unknown. To the best of our knowledge, the only published observations date back to 1891 when Angelo Mosso reported in his seminal book on fatigue that muscle endurance was reduced in two fellow professors of physiology after long lectures and oral examinations (50). The main aim of the present study was to confirm experimentally the hypothesis that mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans. To test this hypothesis, we measured
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, Dec 1, 2022
Purpose: Brain endurance training (BET)—the combination of physical training with mentally fatigu... more Purpose: Brain endurance training (BET)—the combination of physical training with mentally fatiguing tasks—could help athletes adapt and increase their performance during sporting competitions. Here we tested whether BET completed after standard physical training improved physical and mental performance more than physical training alone during a preseason football training camp. Methods: The study employed a pretest/training/posttest design, with 22 professional football players randomly assigned to BET or a control group. Both groups completed 40 physical training sessions over 4 weeks. At the end of a day of physical training, the BET group completed cognitive training, whereas the control group listened to neutral sounds. Players completed the 30–15 Intermittent Fitness Test, repeated sprint ability random test, soccer-specific reactive agility test, and Stroop and psychomotor vigilance tests pretraining and posttraining. Mixed analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Results: In the posttest (but not pretest) assessments, the BET group consistently outperformed the control group. Specifically, the BET group was faster (P = .02–.04) than the control group during the 30–15 Intermittent Fitness Test, the directional phase of the repeated sprint ability random test, and the soccer-specific reactive agility test. The BET group also made fewer errors (P = .02) during the soccer-specific reactive agility test than the control group. Finally, the BET group responded faster (P = .02) on the Stroop test and made fewer (P = .03) lapses on the psychomotor vigilance test than the control group. Conclusion: The inclusion of BET during the preseason seems more effective than standard physical training alone in improving the physical, cognitive, and multitasking performance of professional football players.
Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, Jul 1, 2019
The present study aimed to assess the impact of 60 min of a cognitive demanding task inducing men... more The present study aimed to assess the impact of 60 min of a cognitive demanding task inducing mental fatigue (Stroop) on kayaking performance in young elite athletes. The second objective was to elucidate the effect of mental fatigue on performance in a population of young under-17 elite athletes of national. Thirteen under-17 elite kayakers completed 60 min of an incongruent Stroop color-word test, or the equivalent time in a control condition in a cross-over study design. Afterwards, participants completed a 2000 m kayaking time trial in which power output, stroke rate and time at the end of 400, 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000 m were recorded. Physiological and perceptual measures of heart rate (HR), blood lactate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected during the time trial. Psychological questionnaires were used to assess fatigue and mental demand of the Stroop. Subjective ratings of mental fatigue following the Stroop were almost certainly higher. Results of the time trial suggested that mental fatigue almost certainly impaired power output , stroke rate and time (552± 30 s) compared to the control (521± 36 s) condition. Yet, during the time trial RPE was almost certainly higher in the mental fatigue condition, while HR was reported to be possibly lower. Blood lactate resulted almost certainly lower in the mental fatigue state at completion of the time trial (10.3±1.5 vs 12.2±1.6 mmol•L-1). In conclusion, mental fatigue has an almost certain negative impact on 2000-m kayaking performance in young elite athletes.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 1, 2014
Perception of effort (PE) is conscious sensation of how heavy and strenuous physical task is. Des... more Perception of effort (PE) is conscious sensation of how heavy and strenuous physical task is. Despite its importance for exercise performance, neurophysiological basis of PE remains poorly understood and disputed. One theory is that PE is generated by central processing of sensory signals (called corollary discharges) related to central motor command (CMD) to active muscles. PURPOSE: To investigate location of brain activity correlated with RPE changes using brain imaging (fMRI). METHODS: 9 subjects were brain scanned and lifted a submaximal weight alternating between right and left leg using a leg extension MR-compatible device. Prior to scanning, muscle fatigue (MF) was induced in 1 leg using an eccentric exercise protocol aimed to reduce muscle force without producing metabolic stress and related afferent feedback in active muscles (fatigued leg, FL). The other leg served as control (non-fatigue leg, NFL). Participants performed in the scanner 20 runs, alternatively 10 with the FL and ten with the NFL. Each run consisted of 16s. of isometric contraction followed by 16s. at rest repeated 4 times. At the end of each run RPE was measured (Borg`s scale CR-10). Data analysis was conducted using SPM5 toolbox. Contrast FL vs. NFL was analysed. RPE was measured using 2 X 2 repeated measure ANOVA with time (PRE vs. POST) and MF (NFL vs. FL) as factors. RESULTS: MF protocol decreased muscle strength in FL by 17 % (p < 0.001). As result, RPE when lifting the same submaximal weight was significantly higher in FL compared to NFL (p<0.001). fMRI analysis showed higher activity in motor cortex areas, cerebellum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) when comparing FL vs. NFL condition (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This is the first study in which brain areas associated with an increase in CMD and RPE have been investigated without concomitant increase in afferent feedback from active muscles. MF was associated with higher activity in motor areas. This result was expected because higher CMD is necessary to lift same submaximal weight with weaker muscles. Association between RPE and activity in ACC was expected from previous studies using hypnosis and imagery to alter RPE. These results support the idea of a centrally generated model of PE and may suggest that corollary discharges are processed in ACC or that activity in ACC and/or motor areas give rise to PE.
medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Mar 10, 2022
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a Pilates exercise program (PEP) on FRR and FRR asymmetry of t... more Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a Pilates exercise program (PEP) on FRR and FRR asymmetry of the erector spinae (ES) muscle during standing maximal trunk flexion/extension in women with chronic low-back pain (LBP). A secondary goal was to investigate the effect of PEP on full trunk flexion ROM (TFRoM), pain intensity and functional capacity and analyse their relationship with the FRR. Material and methods: Thirty women with chronic LPB were randomly assigned to either PEP (EG, n=15) or control group (CG=15). EG followed an 8-week PEP while no specific intervention was carried out on the controls. Before and after this period all variables were recorded. Results: FRR did not show any significant changes between or within groups (p>0.05). EG showed a significant statistical difference in the FRR asymmetry pre-and postintervention (p 0.05). Full TFRoM did not show any significant changes between or within groups (p>0.05). EG showed a significant decrease of 30% on pain intensity and a significant increase of 13.4 % in functional capacity (P 0.001) from pre to postintervention. Conclusions: An 8-week PEP does not affect FRR nor full trunk ROM, however yields improvements in pain intensity and functional capacity.Professionals should be aware of the negative effect on FRR asymmetry.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jan 21, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
European Journal of Applied Physiology, Oct 19, 2010
We thank MacIntosh and Fletcher (2010) for sharing these previously unpublished power-cadence dat... more We thank MacIntosh and Fletcher (2010) for sharing these previously unpublished power-cadence data. We concede that, on the basis of the only power-cadence data (Beelen and Sargeant 1991) available at the time of writing our reply to Burnley (2010), we may have underestimated the effect of cadence on the ability to produce maximal voluntary cycling power (MVCP) in a fatigued state (Marcora and Staiano 2010b). Nevertheless, the power-cadence data provided by MacIntosh and Fletcher (2010) strengthen, rather than weaken, our conclusion that muscle fatigue does not cause exhaustion during high-intensity aerobic exercise (Marcora and Staiano 2010a). In fact, according to the fatigued power-cadence relationship shown in Fig. 1 (open squares) (MacIntosh and Fletcher 2010), fatigued subjects that can produce 600 W at 108 RPM are able to produce 400 W at 40 RPM. Therefore, the fact that our subjects were able to produce 731 W at 108 RPM in the final MVCP test suggests that they were able to produce [400 W at exhaustion (40 RPM). Whether our subjects were able to produce [400 or 731 W at exhaustion is totally irrelevant. What is relevant to our conclusion is that, despite significant muscle fatigue, they were able to produce more than 242 W at exhaustion. This finding goes against one of the most fundamental assumptions in exercise physiology: submaximal exercise terminates at the point commonly called exhaustion
Objective Recent studies illustrate that lapses of attention and mind wandering severely hinder p... more Objective Recent studies illustrate that lapses of attention and mind wandering severely hinder performance on tasks which require cognitive function during acute stress. Recent studies provide support that mindfulness training enables stress-reduction and enhancement of cognitive control. However, it is not yet clear if mindfulness can mediate the impact of acute stress on cognitive performance. Because of this, the main aim of this study was to clarify if mindfulness can successfully mediate the relationship between cognitive performance and stress. Method The sample consisted of staff and students from a local university (N = 48), where 26 practiced mindfulness for 4 weeks, while the remaining 22 participants practiced NeuroNation as an active control training. We measured mind wandering at baseline across the two groups and after completion of the interventions (30 days) using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) and administered questionnaires regarding mindfulness and stress. The acute stressful state was achieved using the cold pressor test (CPT). Results The mindfulness intervention significantly uncoupled the relationship between cognitive performance and acute stress, as well as enhanced self-reported dispositional mindfulness. These changes were not present in the active control group. Conclusion The implications of these findings suggest that mindfulness may be employed as way to dampen the impact of acute stressors on cognitive performance.
The experience of a wandering mind is common for most people, and it has been estimated that mind... more The experience of a wandering mind is common for most people, and it has been estimated that mind wandering occupies up to 46% of our thoughts during the day. There are recent studies showing entrainment effects leading to a decrease in mind wandering. However, it is not clear if there are state-dependent interventions that may provide a reduction of mind wandering. The main aim of the current study was to investigate in a university student population whether laboratory evidence of mind wandering can be reduced through two on-the-spot interventions; mindfulness meditation for 15 min (n = 25) and binaural auditory beats for a duration of 15 min (n = 27) relative to a no-intervention control group (n = 25). We measured levels of mind wandering at baseline across the three groups and after the 15-min interventions using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). The results indicate that a short-term or on-the-spot mindfulness session for 15 min is successful in significantly reducing laboratory evidence of mind wandering. However, more surprisingly, we found that 15 min of auditory binaural beats also lead to a significant reduction of mind wandering, whereas the control group did not result in differences. We did not observe differences in mind wandering across the three groups at baseline or differences in stress levels across groups. The present outcomes are discussed in terms of the potential of using auditory binaural beats relative to mindfulness as a way to enhance cognitive control.
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, May 1, 2020
Purpose: Several studies have examined the effect of MF on sport performance, but no studies have... more Purpose: Several studies have examined the effect of MF on sport performance, but no studies have been conducted on badminton performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine the acute effect of mental fatigue (MF) on badminton performance in elite players. Methods: In total, 19 elite Danish badminton players completed 2 test days in randomized order, separated by 48 h. On day 1, to elicit MF, a 60-min incongruent Stroop task was performed. On day 2, 60 min of an emotionally neutral documentary was used for the control condition. After either condition, subjects performed a badminton-specific test (BST) where performance time was measured, as well as countermovement-jump height, heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and lactate. Psychological questionnaires were answered under both conditions. Results: Subjects were significantly more mentally fatigued (P = .002) after the Stroop intervention than in the control. No differences between conditions were detected in the BST (control 32.43 [1.96] vs MF 32.43 [2.36] s; P = .99, Student t test). In addition, no effect of condition (P = .64), time (P = .14), or condition × time (P = .87) was found (2-way analysis of variance). Furthermore, no differences in heart rate, countermovement jump, or rating of perceived exertion were observed between conditions. Lactate showed no effect of condition (P = .46). Conclusion: Despite being more mentally fatigued after the Stroop test than in the control condition, performance was not negatively affected during a BST. In addition, no differences in physiological measures were observed.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Jun 1, 2019
The purpose of this study was to determine if 3D MOT training increases in-game performance durin... more The purpose of this study was to determine if 3D MOT training increases in-game performance during a competitive season. METHODS: 79 athletes from four NCAA DIII collegiate athletic teams (ice hockey n=34; lacrosse n=45) participated. Athletes were assigned to either a 3D MOT (n=38) training intervention or control (C) group (n=41). Athletes completed 24 sessions of 3D MOT training, 2-4 times per week over 12 weeks during the respective competitive seasons. At the conclusion of the seasons, independent samples t-tests were used to compare performance measures (game statistics) between 3D MOT and C groups for ice hockey (men's and women's combined), men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in performance measures between 3D MOT and C groups for ice hockey (p>0.05). For men's lacrosse, faceoff winning percentage was significantly different (p=0.000) with the C group having a greater faceoff winning percentage versus the 3D MOT group (30% vs. 0%). For all other performance measures there were no significant differences (p>0.05) between groups. For women's lacrosse, there were significant differences for assists (p=0.045), points (p=0.034), shots (p=0.035), and free-position shots (p =0.014) with the 3D MOT group having lower values versus C. CONCLUSIONS: Athletic performance is multifactorial in uncontrolled environments such as competitive ice hockey and lacrosse, which may suggest that performance benefits of 3D MOT training may be overshadowed by the complexities of game play. The significant differences found between groups may be due to player skill differences versus a 3D MOT effect. Further research is warranted to determine the effectiveness of 3D MOT training and its impact on sport performance. * Significantly different compared to pre-training (P<0.05).
European Journal of Applied Physiology, Mar 11, 2010
In exercise physiology, it has been traditionally assumed that high-intensity aerobic exercise st... more In exercise physiology, it has been traditionally assumed that high-intensity aerobic exercise stops at the point commonly called exhaustion because fatigued subjects are no longer able to generate the power output required by the task despite their maximal voluntary eVort. We tested the validity of this assumption by measuring maximal voluntary cycling power before (mean § SD, 1,075 § 214 W) and immediately after (731 § 206 W) (P < 0.001) exhaustive cycling exercise at 242 § 24 W (80% of peak aerobic power measured during a preliminary incremental exercise test) in ten Wt male human subjects. Perceived exertion during exhaustive cycling exercise was strongly correlated (r = ¡0.82, P = 0.003) with time to exhaustion (10.5 § 2.1 min). These results challenge the long-standing assumption that muscle fatigue causes exhaustion during high-intensity aerobic exercise, and suggest that exercise tolerance in highly motivated subjects is ultimately limited by perception of eVort.
Background Occupational stress has huge nancial as well as human costs. Application of crowdsourc... more Background Occupational stress has huge nancial as well as human costs. Application of crowdsourcing might be a way to strengthen the investigation of occupational mental health. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess Danish employees' stress and cognition by relying on a crowdsourcing approach, as well as investigating the effect of a 30-day mindfulness and music intervention. Methods We translated well-validated neuropsychological laboratory-and task-based paradigms into an appbased platform using cognitive games measuring mind wandering and working memory and measuring
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, May 1, 2023
Purpose: Mental fatigue (MF) can impair physical performance in sport. We tested the hypothesis t... more Purpose: Mental fatigue (MF) can impair physical performance in sport. We tested the hypothesis that cognitive load alone, and intermixed with standard resistance training, would induce MF, increase rating of perceived exertion (RPE), alter perception of weight lifting and training, and impair cycling time-trial performance. Methods: This 2-part study employed a within-participant design. In part 1, after establishing leg-extension 1-repetition maximum (1RM), 16 participants lifted and briefly held weights at 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% of 1RM. RPE and electromyography (EMG) were measured for each lift. During the testing sessions, participants completed cognitive tasks (MF condition) or watched neutral videos (control condition) for 90 minutes before lifting the weights. In part 2, they completed submaximal resistance training comprising 6 weight training exercises followed by a 20-minute cycling time trial. In the MF condition, they completed cognitive tasks before and between weight training exercises. In the control condition, they watched neutral videos. Mood (Brunel Mood Scale), workload (National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index), MF-visual analogue scale (MF-VAS), RPE, psychomotor vigilance, distance cycled, power output, heart rate, and blood lactate were measured. Results: In part 1, the cognitive task increased lift-induced RPE (P = .011), increased MF-VAS (P = .002), and altered mood (P &lt; .001) compared with control. EMG did not differ between conditions. In part 2, the cognitive tasks increased RPE (P &lt; .001), MF-VAS (P &lt; .001), and mental workload (P &lt; .001), but reduced cycling time-trial power (P = .032) and distance (P = .023) compared with control. Heart rate and blood lactate did not differ between conditions. Conclusion: A state of MF induced by cognitive load, alone or intermixed with physical load, increased RPE during weight lifting and training and impaired subsequent cycling performance.
The capacity to sustain high-intensity aerobic exercise is essential for endurance performance. T... more The capacity to sustain high-intensity aerobic exercise is essential for endurance performance. Therefore, it is important to understand what is the factor limiting time to exhaustion (TTE) in healthy and fit adults. In Study 1, maximal voluntary cycling power (MVCP) was measured in 11 volunteers before and immediately after a high-intensity TTE test on cycle ergometer. Cadence was 60 rpm in both the MVCP and TTE tests. Despite a 35% loss in MVCP, power produced during the final MVCP test (mean ± SD 469 ± 111 W) was significantly higher than the power required by the TTE test (269 ± 55 W) (P &lt; 0.001). In Study 2, 12 participants performed a cold pressor test (CPT) to the limit of tolerance followed by a high-intensity TTE test on cycle ergometer. Ratings of pain unpleasantness (RPU) during the TTE test were anchored to the unpleasantness of pain experienced during the CPT. On average, the RPU was 9.7 ± 0.4 at completion of the CPT and 5.0 ± 0.9 at exhaustion during the TTE test. The difference between these two ratings of pain unpleasantness was statistically significant (P &lt; 0.001). In both Studies 1 and 2, the slope of the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during the TTE test correlated significantly with TTE (r = -0.75 and -0.83, P &lt; 0.01). Results of this two-part investigation suggest that perception of effort, rather than severe locomotor muscle fatigue or intolerably unpleasant muscle pain, is the cardinal exercise stopper during high-intensity aerobic exercise.
Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive act... more Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity. Although the impact of mental fatigue on cognitive and skilled performance is well known, its effect on physical performance has not been thoroughly investigated. In this randomized crossover study, 16 subjects cycled to exhaustion at 80% of their peak power output after 90 min of a demanding cognitive task (mental fatigue) or 90 min of watching emotionally neutral documentaries (control). After experimental treatment, a mood questionnaire revealed a state of mental fatigue (P ϭ 0.005) that significantly reduced time to exhaustion (640 Ϯ 316 s) compared with the control condition (754 Ϯ 339 s) (P ϭ 0.003). This negative effect was not mediated by cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic factors as physiological responses to intense exercise remained largely unaffected. Self-reported success and intrinsic motivation related to the physical task were also unaffected by prior cognitive activity. However, mentally fatigued subjects rated perception of effort during exercise to be significantly higher compared with the control condition (P ϭ 0.007). As ratings of perceived exertion increased similarly over time in both conditions (P Ͻ 0.001), mentally fatigued subjects reached their maximal level of perceived exertion and disengaged from the physical task earlier than in the control condition. In conclusion, our study provides experimental evidence that mental fatigue limits exercise tolerance in humans through higher perception of effort rather than cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic mechanisms. Future research in this area should investigate the common neurocognitive resources shared by physical and mental activity. exercise performance; endurance; perceived exertion; motivation MENTAL FATIGUE is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity and characterized by subjective feelings of "tiredness" and "lack of energy" (9). The effects of mental fatigue on cognitive performance (7, 8, 14, 38, 41, 66-68) and the skilled performance of drivers and air pilots (25, 36) have been extensively investigated. An increasing number of studies are also revealing the neural alterations caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity in both health (8, 38, 39, 41, 64) and disease (14). On the contrary, the impact of mental fatigue on subsequent physical performance remains largely unknown. To the best of our knowledge, the only published observations date back to 1891 when Angelo Mosso reported in his seminal book on fatigue that muscle endurance was reduced in two fellow professors of physiology after long lectures and oral examinations (50). The main aim of the present study was to confirm experimentally the hypothesis that mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans. To test this hypothesis, we measured
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, Dec 1, 2022
Purpose: Brain endurance training (BET)—the combination of physical training with mentally fatigu... more Purpose: Brain endurance training (BET)—the combination of physical training with mentally fatiguing tasks—could help athletes adapt and increase their performance during sporting competitions. Here we tested whether BET completed after standard physical training improved physical and mental performance more than physical training alone during a preseason football training camp. Methods: The study employed a pretest/training/posttest design, with 22 professional football players randomly assigned to BET or a control group. Both groups completed 40 physical training sessions over 4 weeks. At the end of a day of physical training, the BET group completed cognitive training, whereas the control group listened to neutral sounds. Players completed the 30–15 Intermittent Fitness Test, repeated sprint ability random test, soccer-specific reactive agility test, and Stroop and psychomotor vigilance tests pretraining and posttraining. Mixed analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Results: In the posttest (but not pretest) assessments, the BET group consistently outperformed the control group. Specifically, the BET group was faster (P = .02–.04) than the control group during the 30–15 Intermittent Fitness Test, the directional phase of the repeated sprint ability random test, and the soccer-specific reactive agility test. The BET group also made fewer errors (P = .02) during the soccer-specific reactive agility test than the control group. Finally, the BET group responded faster (P = .02) on the Stroop test and made fewer (P = .03) lapses on the psychomotor vigilance test than the control group. Conclusion: The inclusion of BET during the preseason seems more effective than standard physical training alone in improving the physical, cognitive, and multitasking performance of professional football players.
Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, Jul 1, 2019
The present study aimed to assess the impact of 60 min of a cognitive demanding task inducing men... more The present study aimed to assess the impact of 60 min of a cognitive demanding task inducing mental fatigue (Stroop) on kayaking performance in young elite athletes. The second objective was to elucidate the effect of mental fatigue on performance in a population of young under-17 elite athletes of national. Thirteen under-17 elite kayakers completed 60 min of an incongruent Stroop color-word test, or the equivalent time in a control condition in a cross-over study design. Afterwards, participants completed a 2000 m kayaking time trial in which power output, stroke rate and time at the end of 400, 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000 m were recorded. Physiological and perceptual measures of heart rate (HR), blood lactate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected during the time trial. Psychological questionnaires were used to assess fatigue and mental demand of the Stroop. Subjective ratings of mental fatigue following the Stroop were almost certainly higher. Results of the time trial suggested that mental fatigue almost certainly impaired power output , stroke rate and time (552± 30 s) compared to the control (521± 36 s) condition. Yet, during the time trial RPE was almost certainly higher in the mental fatigue condition, while HR was reported to be possibly lower. Blood lactate resulted almost certainly lower in the mental fatigue state at completion of the time trial (10.3±1.5 vs 12.2±1.6 mmol•L-1). In conclusion, mental fatigue has an almost certain negative impact on 2000-m kayaking performance in young elite athletes.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 1, 2014
Perception of effort (PE) is conscious sensation of how heavy and strenuous physical task is. Des... more Perception of effort (PE) is conscious sensation of how heavy and strenuous physical task is. Despite its importance for exercise performance, neurophysiological basis of PE remains poorly understood and disputed. One theory is that PE is generated by central processing of sensory signals (called corollary discharges) related to central motor command (CMD) to active muscles. PURPOSE: To investigate location of brain activity correlated with RPE changes using brain imaging (fMRI). METHODS: 9 subjects were brain scanned and lifted a submaximal weight alternating between right and left leg using a leg extension MR-compatible device. Prior to scanning, muscle fatigue (MF) was induced in 1 leg using an eccentric exercise protocol aimed to reduce muscle force without producing metabolic stress and related afferent feedback in active muscles (fatigued leg, FL). The other leg served as control (non-fatigue leg, NFL). Participants performed in the scanner 20 runs, alternatively 10 with the FL and ten with the NFL. Each run consisted of 16s. of isometric contraction followed by 16s. at rest repeated 4 times. At the end of each run RPE was measured (Borg`s scale CR-10). Data analysis was conducted using SPM5 toolbox. Contrast FL vs. NFL was analysed. RPE was measured using 2 X 2 repeated measure ANOVA with time (PRE vs. POST) and MF (NFL vs. FL) as factors. RESULTS: MF protocol decreased muscle strength in FL by 17 % (p < 0.001). As result, RPE when lifting the same submaximal weight was significantly higher in FL compared to NFL (p<0.001). fMRI analysis showed higher activity in motor cortex areas, cerebellum and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) when comparing FL vs. NFL condition (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This is the first study in which brain areas associated with an increase in CMD and RPE have been investigated without concomitant increase in afferent feedback from active muscles. MF was associated with higher activity in motor areas. This result was expected because higher CMD is necessary to lift same submaximal weight with weaker muscles. Association between RPE and activity in ACC was expected from previous studies using hypnosis and imagery to alter RPE. These results support the idea of a centrally generated model of PE and may suggest that corollary discharges are processed in ACC or that activity in ACC and/or motor areas give rise to PE.
medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Mar 10, 2022
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a Pilates exercise program (PEP) on FRR and FRR asymmetry of t... more Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a Pilates exercise program (PEP) on FRR and FRR asymmetry of the erector spinae (ES) muscle during standing maximal trunk flexion/extension in women with chronic low-back pain (LBP). A secondary goal was to investigate the effect of PEP on full trunk flexion ROM (TFRoM), pain intensity and functional capacity and analyse their relationship with the FRR. Material and methods: Thirty women with chronic LPB were randomly assigned to either PEP (EG, n=15) or control group (CG=15). EG followed an 8-week PEP while no specific intervention was carried out on the controls. Before and after this period all variables were recorded. Results: FRR did not show any significant changes between or within groups (p>0.05). EG showed a significant statistical difference in the FRR asymmetry pre-and postintervention (p 0.05). Full TFRoM did not show any significant changes between or within groups (p>0.05). EG showed a significant decrease of 30% on pain intensity and a significant increase of 13.4 % in functional capacity (P 0.001) from pre to postintervention. Conclusions: An 8-week PEP does not affect FRR nor full trunk ROM, however yields improvements in pain intensity and functional capacity.Professionals should be aware of the negative effect on FRR asymmetry.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jan 21, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
European Journal of Applied Physiology, Oct 19, 2010
We thank MacIntosh and Fletcher (2010) for sharing these previously unpublished power-cadence dat... more We thank MacIntosh and Fletcher (2010) for sharing these previously unpublished power-cadence data. We concede that, on the basis of the only power-cadence data (Beelen and Sargeant 1991) available at the time of writing our reply to Burnley (2010), we may have underestimated the effect of cadence on the ability to produce maximal voluntary cycling power (MVCP) in a fatigued state (Marcora and Staiano 2010b). Nevertheless, the power-cadence data provided by MacIntosh and Fletcher (2010) strengthen, rather than weaken, our conclusion that muscle fatigue does not cause exhaustion during high-intensity aerobic exercise (Marcora and Staiano 2010a). In fact, according to the fatigued power-cadence relationship shown in Fig. 1 (open squares) (MacIntosh and Fletcher 2010), fatigued subjects that can produce 600 W at 108 RPM are able to produce 400 W at 40 RPM. Therefore, the fact that our subjects were able to produce 731 W at 108 RPM in the final MVCP test suggests that they were able to produce [400 W at exhaustion (40 RPM). Whether our subjects were able to produce [400 or 731 W at exhaustion is totally irrelevant. What is relevant to our conclusion is that, despite significant muscle fatigue, they were able to produce more than 242 W at exhaustion. This finding goes against one of the most fundamental assumptions in exercise physiology: submaximal exercise terminates at the point commonly called exhaustion
Objective Recent studies illustrate that lapses of attention and mind wandering severely hinder p... more Objective Recent studies illustrate that lapses of attention and mind wandering severely hinder performance on tasks which require cognitive function during acute stress. Recent studies provide support that mindfulness training enables stress-reduction and enhancement of cognitive control. However, it is not yet clear if mindfulness can mediate the impact of acute stress on cognitive performance. Because of this, the main aim of this study was to clarify if mindfulness can successfully mediate the relationship between cognitive performance and stress. Method The sample consisted of staff and students from a local university (N = 48), where 26 practiced mindfulness for 4 weeks, while the remaining 22 participants practiced NeuroNation as an active control training. We measured mind wandering at baseline across the two groups and after completion of the interventions (30 days) using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) and administered questionnaires regarding mindfulness and stress. The acute stressful state was achieved using the cold pressor test (CPT). Results The mindfulness intervention significantly uncoupled the relationship between cognitive performance and acute stress, as well as enhanced self-reported dispositional mindfulness. These changes were not present in the active control group. Conclusion The implications of these findings suggest that mindfulness may be employed as way to dampen the impact of acute stressors on cognitive performance.
The experience of a wandering mind is common for most people, and it has been estimated that mind... more The experience of a wandering mind is common for most people, and it has been estimated that mind wandering occupies up to 46% of our thoughts during the day. There are recent studies showing entrainment effects leading to a decrease in mind wandering. However, it is not clear if there are state-dependent interventions that may provide a reduction of mind wandering. The main aim of the current study was to investigate in a university student population whether laboratory evidence of mind wandering can be reduced through two on-the-spot interventions; mindfulness meditation for 15 min (n = 25) and binaural auditory beats for a duration of 15 min (n = 27) relative to a no-intervention control group (n = 25). We measured levels of mind wandering at baseline across the three groups and after the 15-min interventions using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). The results indicate that a short-term or on-the-spot mindfulness session for 15 min is successful in significantly reducing laboratory evidence of mind wandering. However, more surprisingly, we found that 15 min of auditory binaural beats also lead to a significant reduction of mind wandering, whereas the control group did not result in differences. We did not observe differences in mind wandering across the three groups at baseline or differences in stress levels across groups. The present outcomes are discussed in terms of the potential of using auditory binaural beats relative to mindfulness as a way to enhance cognitive control.
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