Evolution of Mental Fatigue With Consecutive Match Progression in Elite Fencing

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Psychology of Sport

Background:

• Mental fatigue (MF) is a known issue in sports, but its progression during congested competition schedules is not well understood.
• Elite fencing, with its rapid match formats, presents a unique environment to study intraday MF evolution.
• Previous research has not sufficiently explored the relationship between MF and competitive performance in fencing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the evolution of mental fatigue (MF) in elite fencers throughout a single competition day.
• To examine the relationship between MF accumulation and competitive performance metrics.
• To understand the impact of congested match schedules on MF in elite fencing.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study tracked 31 elite fencers (epee, foil, saber) over a national competition day.
• Subjective MF was measured using the Mental Fatigue Visual Analog Scale (MFVAS) before and after each match.
• Weighted least-squares regression and linear mixed-effects models analyzed MF trends and performance influences.

Main Results:

• Mental fatigue (MF) accumulated across the competition day, but the rate of accumulation significantly decelerated over time.
• The theoretical increase rate of MF between matches decreased from 22.0% to 0.5% as the competition progressed.
• A negative hits difference in matches was the sole significant factor negatively impacting MF accumulation (P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Elite fencers experience decelerating MF accumulation during competition, suggesting a need for proactive recovery strategies from early rounds.
• Real-time MF monitoring and targeted interventions are crucial for mitigating fatigue and maintaining performance.
• Addressing MF, alongside motivational and emotional factors, is vital, especially when fencers are successively receiving hits.