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Brain Endurance Training improves endurance and cognitive performance in road cyclists
Walter Staiano1, Samuele Marcora2, Marco Romagnoli3
1Department of Physical Education and Sport, University of Valencia, Spain; Department of Psychology, Biological and Cognitive Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.
Brain endurance training (BET) improved endurance and cognitive function in cyclists. Post-BET enhanced time to exhaustion and reduced perceived exertion, suggesting its utility for improving cycling performance.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Endurance athletes often face cognitive challenges during prolonged exertion.
- Brain endurance training (BET) is a novel approach to enhance cognitive function under fatigue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of post-exercise cognitive training on endurance and cognitive performance in road cyclists.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of BET in improving cycling metrics and cognitive responses.
Main Methods:
- Two randomized controlled trials involving road cyclists undergoing a six-week training program.
- Intervention group (Post-BET) performed cognitive tasks after training; control group experienced neutral sounds.
- Performance was assessed using time to exhaustion tests, time trials, and the Stroop task; physiological measures and perceived exertion were recorded.
Main Results:
- Post-BET significantly improved time to exhaustion at high intensities and reduced rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in Study 1.
- In Study 2, Post-BET enhanced 20-minute time trial performance and lowered RPE during a submaximal test.
- Cognitive performance, measured by Stroop reaction times, showed significant improvement in the Post-BET group in both studies.
Conclusions:
- Post-BET demonstrates potential as an effective training strategy for enhancing both endurance and cognitive performance in road cyclists.
- The training intervention positively impacted subjective feelings of exertion and objective performance metrics.
- BET may offer a competitive advantage by improving the ability to sustain high-intensity cycling with better cognitive control.
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