Acute Effects of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Resistance and Power Exercises: A Brief Review for Coaches and Practitioners

Abstract

The purpose of this brief review is to provide information about the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on performance in resistance and power exercises commonly used by the strength and conditioning community. The authors aimed to identify all publications investigating the effects of tDCS on performance with dynamic constant external resistance and power exercises. The performance was analyzed based on the training volume, as the number of repetitions performed in an absolute or relative load (1 RM—%). In addition, the peak power output was also analyzed as a secondary outcome. Based on the eligibility criteria, 13 studies were found. The results showed that applying anodal tDCS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increased the training volume in exercises commonly used by the strength and conditioning community. However, anodal tDCS does not increase peak power output in upper and lower limbs. A discussion integrating tDCS into the resistance training based on the particular stimulated area was provided. Furthermore, this review provided some practical recommendations for the application of tDCS by coaches and practitioners of strength and conditioning.

Chronic Functional Adaptations Induced by the Application of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Exercise Programs: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…The versatility of tDCS has sparked research interest across various fields, such as cognitive enhancement [6] or pain management [7]. However, a special focus has been directed towards investigating its immediate (i.e., acute) effects on motor function, including rehabilitation [8] or sports performance [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. For example, among the healthy population, several systematic reviews and meta-analyses suggest that a single session of tDCS may increase performance in several motor tasks, like endurance time to exhaustion, visuomotor skills, and strength [9][10][11].…”

“…However, most of the research conducted to date has primarily focused on the acute effects of a single tDCS session [12][13][14][15]. These acute effects may be especially relevant in contexts where immediate performance is crucial, such as competitive sports.…”

“…Nevertheless, tDCS could be systematically employed to induce or enhance the chronic adaptations derived from other interventions like exercise. The acute effects of tDCS may increase the quality of gross motor-task performance (depending on the task) during training sessions, thus optimizing or accelerating motor-skill acquisition or exercise-induced adaptations [12]. This may be relevant not only in the field of sports performance but also for populations like adults with neurological or musculoskeletal disorders, in which initial motor performance deficits may compromise the quality of life and/or rehabilitation.…”