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Fatigue: Is it all neurochemistry?
Romain Meeusen1, Bart Roelands1
1a Human Physiology Research Group , Vrije Universiteit Brussel , Brussels , Belgium.
European Journal of Sport Science
|March 21, 2017
Summary
Brain neurochemistry influences exercise fatigue, particularly in hot conditions. Dopamine manipulation can override safety limits, affecting thermoregulation and performance in humans, unlike in normal temperatures.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Neuroscience
- Sports Science
Background:
- Exercise fatigue has peripheral (muscle) and central (nervous system) origins.
- Central fatigue involves the brain's inability to adequately drive muscles during prolonged exertion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the neurochemical mechanisms of central fatigue during prolonged exercise.
- To explore the role of brain neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, in exercise fatigue.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review of studies on exercise fatigue mechanisms.
- Analysis of rodent and human studies investigating neurotransmitter manipulation and exercise performance.
- Examination of environmental temperature effects on central fatigue.
Main Results:
- In rodents, increased dopaminergic activity in the hypothalamus interferes with thermoregulation and fatigue onset.
- In humans, manipulating brain neurotransmission typically does not alter fatigue onset at normal temperatures.
- Elevated ambient temperatures combined with dopaminergic manipulation can override safety mechanisms, allowing increased exertion and body temperature without altered perception.
Conclusions:
- Brain neurochemistry plays a significant role in regulating exercise fatigue.
- The impact of central neurochemical changes on fatigue is modulated by environmental factors like heat.
- Thermoregulation and neurotransmission interact complexly to influence perceived and physiological fatigue during exercise.
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