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Many different factors affect running performance, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a widely used and available neuromodulation tool and could hypothetically facilitate the supraspinal drive and thereby act upstream of the motor cortex to prolong the muscles work in time to exhaustion trials. While it appears to decrease the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during cycling, little is known about the effects of tDCS on physiological performance parameters such as maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and lactate thresholds in runners.
The aim of this prospective randomized sham-controlled clinical trial is to investigate the physiological effects of tDCS applied over the motor cortex on perceived exertion and performance-related parameters measured by an incremental treadmill test to exhaustion.
This research thus aims at answering the following questions:
The investigators hypothesize that 1) performance as measured by time to exertion will be increased following active and not sham tDCS due to a decreased perceived rate of exertion without significantly altering the other physiological parameters; and 2) performance as measured by incremental treadmill test to exhaustion will be more improved in recreational as compared to trained runners.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active tDCS first / Sham tDCS second | Other | Receiving active tDCS during the first visit followed by sham tDCS on the next visit |
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| Sham tDCS first / Active tDCS second | Other | Receiving sham tDCS during the first visit followed by active tDCS on the next visit |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) | Device | The active session of tDCS will consist in applying two anodes over M1 bilaterally (C3 and C4 according to the 10-20 international EEG placement) and the cathodes over the occipital areas (O1 and O2), and to inject 2 mA for 20 minutes through sponge electrodes (35 cm²) placed on the scalp using the Startsim 8 (Neuroelectrics, Barcelona). The sham tDCS will use the same montage and device but direct current will only be injected for 30 seconds, with a ramp-up and ramp-down 15 seconds period, to mimic the somatosensory effects of active tDCS. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Time to exertion (active vs. sham) | Time to achieve exhaustion during a treadmill test where the speed is set at a constant 90% of the individual maximal aerobic speed (determined during the screening visit) | Immediate |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) evolution (active vs. sham) | RPE will be assessed continuously (every 3 minutes) during the time to exhaustion trial using the Borg rating of perceived exertion scale (RPE scale). The Borg RPE scale is a quantitative measure of perceived exertion during physical activity. The scale starts with "no feeling of exertion," which rates a 6, and ends with "very, very hard," which rates a 20. Moderate activities register 11 to 14 on the Borg scale ("fairly light" to "somewhat hard"), while vigorous activities usually rate a 15 or higher ("hard" to "very, very hard"). |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISEPK ULiège | Liège | 4000 | Belgium |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39637186 | Derived | Martens G, Hody S, Bornheim S, Angius L, De Beaumont L, Fregni F, Ruffini G, Kaux JF, Thibaut A, Bury T. Can transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the motor cortex increase endurance running performance? a randomized crossover-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2024 Dec 5;19(12):e0312084. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312084. eCollection 2024. |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D065908 | Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D004599 | Electric Stimulation Therapy |
| D013812 | Therapeutics |
| D003295 | Convulsive Therapy |
| D013000 | Psychiatric Somatic Therapies |
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Double-blind randomized sham controlled crossover
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|
| Every 3 minutes during the test to exhaustion until the end of the test (up to 1 hour after the stimulation) |
| Maximal Oxygen Consumption (VO2max) evolution (active vs. sham) | VO2max will be assessed continuously during the time to exhaustion trial using a gas analyzer | Immediate |
| Lactate thresholds (active vs. sham) | Levels of blood lactate will be measured continuously (every 3 minutes) during the time to exhaustion trial using capillary blood and a lactate analyzer | Every 3 minutes during the test to exhaustion until the end of the test (up to 1 hour after the stimulation) |
| D004191 | Behavioral Disciplines and Activities |
| D004597 | Electroshock |
| D011580 | Psychological Techniques |