Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Reduces the Negative Impact of Mental Fatigue on Swimming Performance
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Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Simultaneous Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: April 27, 2014
Elahe Nikooharf Salehi1, Saeed Jaydari Fard2, Shapour Jaberzadeh3
1Department of Motor Behavior and Sport Psychology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
The issue of using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve sport performance has recently been a topic of interest for researchers. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of tDCS over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on mental fatigue and physical performance in professional swimmers. Fifteen professional swimmers were randomly assigned in a single-blinded, randomized, counterbalanced order to sham, anodal and cathodal stimulation conditions. Mental fatigue was induced by using a 60-min modified Stroop color-word task. Subjective ratings of mental fatigue were measured before and after the stroop task. The results showed that only anodal tDCS of the left DLPFC reduces adverse effects of mental fatigue in 50-meter swimming performance, whereas cathodal stimulation had no significant effect.
