Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.

OBJECTIVES:To test the hypothesis that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences performance in a 20-min time-trial self-paced exercise and electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory brain activity in a group of trained male cyclist...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Darías Holgado, Thomas Zandonai, Luis F Ciria, Mikel Zabala, James Hopker, Daniel Sanabria
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2019-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210873
id doaj-8c26a88f356145fa8aa2edd57ff21b6d
record_format Article
spelling doaj-8c26a88f356145fa8aa2edd57ff21b6d2021-03-03T20:54:33ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01142e021087310.1371/journal.pone.0210873Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.Darías HolgadoThomas ZandonaiLuis F CiriaMikel ZabalaJames HopkerDaniel SanabriaOBJECTIVES:To test the hypothesis that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences performance in a 20-min time-trial self-paced exercise and electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory brain activity in a group of trained male cyclists. DESIGN:The study consisted of a pre-registered (https://osf.io/rf95j/), randomised, sham-controlled, single-blind, within-subject design experiment. METHODS:36 trained male cyclists, age 27 (6.8) years, weight 70.1 (9.5) Kg; VO2max: 54 (6.13) ml.min-1.kg-1, Maximal Power output: 4.77 (0.6) W/kg completed a 20-min time-trial self-paced exercise in three separate sessions, corresponding to three stimulation conditions: anodal, cathodal and sham. tDCS was administered before each test during 20-min at a current intensity of 2.0 mA. The anode electrode was placed over the DLPFC and the cathode in the contralateral shoulder. In each session, power output, heart rate, sRPE and EEG (at baseline and during exercise) was measured. RESULTS:There were no differences (F = 0.31, p > 0.05) in power output between the stimulation conditions: anodal (235 W [95%CI 222-249 W]; cathodal (235 W [95%CI 222-248 W] and sham (234 W [95%CI 220-248 W]. Neither heart rate, sRPE nor EEG activity were affected by tDCS (all Ps > 0.05). CONCLUSION:tDCS over the left DLFC did not affect self-paced exercise performance in trained cyclists. Moreover, tDCS did not elicit any change on oscillatory brain activity either at baseline or during exercise. Our data suggest that the effects of tDCS on endurance performance should be taken with caution.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210873
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Darías Holgado
Thomas Zandonai
Luis F Ciria
Mikel Zabala
James Hopker
Daniel Sanabria
spellingShingle Darías Holgado
Thomas Zandonai
Luis F Ciria
Mikel Zabala
James Hopker
Daniel Sanabria
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.
PLoS ONE
author_facet Darías Holgado
Thomas Zandonai
Luis F Ciria
Mikel Zabala
James Hopker
Daniel Sanabria
author_sort Darías Holgado
title Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.
title_short Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.
title_full Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.
title_fullStr Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.
title_full_unstemmed Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.
title_sort transcranial direct current stimulation (tdcs) over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
series PLoS ONE
issn 1932-6203
publishDate 2019-01-01
description OBJECTIVES:To test the hypothesis that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences performance in a 20-min time-trial self-paced exercise and electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory brain activity in a group of trained male cyclists. DESIGN:The study consisted of a pre-registered (https://osf.io/rf95j/), randomised, sham-controlled, single-blind, within-subject design experiment. METHODS:36 trained male cyclists, age 27 (6.8) years, weight 70.1 (9.5) Kg; VO2max: 54 (6.13) ml.min-1.kg-1, Maximal Power output: 4.77 (0.6) W/kg completed a 20-min time-trial self-paced exercise in three separate sessions, corresponding to three stimulation conditions: anodal, cathodal and sham. tDCS was administered before each test during 20-min at a current intensity of 2.0 mA. The anode electrode was placed over the DLPFC and the cathode in the contralateral shoulder. In each session, power output, heart rate, sRPE and EEG (at baseline and during exercise) was measured. RESULTS:There were no differences (F = 0.31, p > 0.05) in power output between the stimulation conditions: anodal (235 W [95%CI 222-249 W]; cathodal (235 W [95%CI 222-248 W] and sham (234 W [95%CI 220-248 W]. Neither heart rate, sRPE nor EEG activity were affected by tDCS (all Ps > 0.05). CONCLUSION:tDCS over the left DLFC did not affect self-paced exercise performance in trained cyclists. Moreover, tDCS did not elicit any change on oscillatory brain activity either at baseline or during exercise. Our data suggest that the effects of tDCS on endurance performance should be taken with caution.
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210873
work_keys_str_mv AT dariasholgado transcranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsovertheleftprefrontalcortexdoesnotaffecttimetrialselfpacedcyclingperformanceevidencefromoscillatorybrainactivityandpoweroutput
AT thomaszandonai transcranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsovertheleftprefrontalcortexdoesnotaffecttimetrialselfpacedcyclingperformanceevidencefromoscillatorybrainactivityandpoweroutput
AT luisfciria transcranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsovertheleftprefrontalcortexdoesnotaffecttimetrialselfpacedcyclingperformanceevidencefromoscillatorybrainactivityandpoweroutput
AT mikelzabala transcranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsovertheleftprefrontalcortexdoesnotaffecttimetrialselfpacedcyclingperformanceevidencefromoscillatorybrainactivityandpoweroutput
AT jameshopker transcranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsovertheleftprefrontalcortexdoesnotaffecttimetrialselfpacedcyclingperformanceevidencefromoscillatorybrainactivityandpoweroutput
AT danielsanabria transcranialdirectcurrentstimulationtdcsovertheleftprefrontalcortexdoesnotaffecttimetrialselfpacedcyclingperformanceevidencefromoscillatorybrainactivityandpoweroutput
_version_ 1714819909894012928