The mechanisms contributing to muscle fatigue in extreme long-duration exercise bouts are poorly understood. Ultra-endurance exercise is an excellent model for the study of adaptive responses to extreme loads and stress and it is an especially useful model for documenting the origins of central fatigue. This protocol will compare fatigue during and after ultra-endurance exercise bouts that result in moderate lower-limb tissue damage (i.e. cycling) or significant damage (i.e. running). The results of this protocol will allow us to further understanding of the reasons for major central fatigue, i.e. within the central nervous system, in ultra-endurance.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Specialist in endurance and ultra-endurance. in the 2 disciplines: running and cycling (triathletes, duathletes or trailers achieving at least 30% of their training volume in cycling), and having at least finished one long distance event in the last 2 years,
• Affiliated or beneficiary of a social security scheme.
• Signature of the consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any subject who has been injured in the 3 months prior to the protocol

• Anyone with chronic joint pathologies (e.g.: repetitive sprains, patellar or ligament problems).

• Any subject with chronic or central neurological pathologies

• Any subject with a contraindication to magnetic stimulation

• Use of neuro-active substances likely to alter cortico-spinal excitability (hypnotics, antiepileptics, psychotropic drugs, muscle relaxants) on the study.

• Contraindication to the application of a magnetic field:

  • Heart or respiratory insufficiency.
  • Subject with a cardiac pace maker.
  • Cardiac valve wear and serious cardiovascular diseases.
  • Presence of prosthetic material or ferromagnetic foreign bodies in the head.
  • Presence of cochlear implants or ocular prosthetic material.
  • History of neurosurgical interventions.
  • Neurological diseases that may affect brain structures and cognitive abilities (e.g., intracranial tumour, multiple sclerosis, history of stroke or traumatic brain injury).
  • History of comitiality, contralateral knee disease or musculoskeletal disease.

• Any subject participating at the same time in another interventional experiment requiring physical exercise.

• Any subject who has taken corticosteroids within 3 months (inhalation, infiltration or history of prolonged corticosteroid therapy).

• Any subject under guardianship or curatorship