Mental fatigue impairs time trial performance in sub-elite under 23 cyclists

Abstract

Purpose This study investigates the effect of a mentally demanding response inhibitory task on time trial performance in sub-elite under 23 cyclists. Methods Ten under 23 road cyclists completed two separate testing sessions during which they performed two different cognitive tasks before completing a 30-min time trial on the cycle ergometer. In the experimental condition, 30 min of a standard cognitive task (Stroop task) was used to elicit mental fatigue; in the control condition, a non-demanding activity was carried out. Subjective workload and mood were measured before and after the treatments, and motivation was recorded before the time-trial. During the time trial, power, cadence, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion were assessed. Blood lactate concentrations and heart rate variability (using the root mean square of the successive differences) were measured before and after the time trial. Results The Stroop task was rated more mentally (P < 0.001) and temporally (P < 0.001) demanding, effortful (P < 0.001), and frustrating (P = 0.001) than the control task; fatigue (P = 0.002) and vigor (P = 0.018) after the cognitive tasks were respectively higher and lower than in the control task. Mean power output (P = 0.007) and cadence (P = 0.043) were negatively affected by the Stroop task, while heart rate (P = 0.349), rating of perceived exertion (P = 0.710), blood lactate concentration (P = 0.850), and root mean square of the successive differences (P = 0.355) did not differ between the two conditions. Conclusion A mentally demanding activity reduced the subsequent physical performance in sub-elite under 23 cyclists. Thus, avoiding cognitive efforts before training and races could improve performance of high-level athletes.

A 4-week endurance training program improves tolerance to mental exertion in untrained individuals

“…Our recent research seems to support this hypothesis, showing that tolerance to mental exertion is higher in elite athletes than in recreational ones, but also that sub-elite athletes have an intermediate ability to tolerate mental exertion compared to elite and recreational. 11,12 We found no change in cognitive performance in our untrained, yet high-functioning healthy adult participants. Exercise training interventions that target cognitive performance in young and healthy adults are rare in the literature (e.g., 25) although there is both cross-sectional 26 and randomised controlled trial 27 evidence that cognitive performance does benefit from exercise training in this population.…”

“…This task consisted of 90 min of computerised cognitive tasks presented on a laptop using specialist software (E-Prime, Psychology Software Tools Inc., United States). The task was divided into three parts: a) an initial 45-min cognitive battery assessing cognitive domains including working memory, response inhibition and task-switching; b) a 40-min modified incongruent Stroop colour-word task 11,12 ; and c) 5-min of the same task-switching (flanker) task as in the cognitive battery. The 45-min cognitive battery comprised four different tasks: 1) 15-min of the flanker task 13 ; 2) 10-min of a go/no-go task 14 ; 3) 10-min of a 2-back task 15 ; and 4) 10-min of a working memory task.…”

“…In a recent study, we observed an impairment of endurance performance (measured as distance covered during a cycling time trial) after mental exertion in recreational and under 23 but not in professional cyclists. 11,12 In addition, the professional cyclists performed better during the cognitive challenge than recreational athletes, suggesting a potential association between resistance to mental fatigue and cognitive capacity in this context. This observational snapshot of cohorts does not, however, distinguish between heritability and trainability.…”

Dissociable Effects of Executive Load on Perceived Exertion and Emotional Valence during Submaximal Cycling

“…In summary, we hypothesized executive load to reduce task-triggered valence ratings (i.e., to make them less positive), to slightly increase arousal, and to leave RPE scores unaffected, replicating the dissociation found in our previous reports. As some studies have also shown that manipulations of mental demand across conditions matched in external physical demands do not significantly influence physiological parameters like heart rate or blood lactate concentration [ 28 ], we do not expect differences in internal physical load indices across conditions.…”

Mental Fatigue Reduces Training Volume in Resistance Exercise: A Cross-Over and Randomized Study

“…As noted above, a computerized ST (Stroop,1935) continuum over 30 min was used as the cognitive task to induce MF in the CT condition following a procedure used in other studies (Badin et al, 2016;Filipas et al, 2019;Gantois et al, 2019;Smith et al, 2016). The ST consisted of three stages.…”