## 4 Discussion  
This study was designed to assess whether tDCS applied specifically to DLPFC and M1 could improve performance in physically demanding exercises such as burpees. It was hypothesized that tDCS would improve the number of repetitions to exhaustion and reduce the perception of exertion. The results partially confirmed this hypothesis, showing that the application of tDCS to these specific areas increased the number of repetitions performed, particularly when stimulated in M1, suggesting that the modulation of neural activity in these areas may have direct benefits on the ability to maintain high-intensity efforts. The study showed a significant effect of condition on the number of replicates, with a moderate effect size, highlighting the effectiveness of the tDCS applied to M1 compared to the DLPFC and SHAM conditions. Although heart rate and muscle oxygen saturation showed no significant differences, RPE varied during the task, suggesting a differential effect of tDCS depending on the area of application, especially in the later stages of exercise. The effect of tDCS could depend significantly on the stimulation parameters, such as electrode position, current intensity, density, duration, and timing of application. In this regard, our research addresses a gap in the existing literature, as very few studies have directly compared the effects of different tDCS configurations on exercise performance in exercises such as the burpee. The results of the present study suggest that stimulation targeting DLPFC and M1 may have differential influences on the ability of athletes to sustain intense and prolonged efforts. In particular, the observed improvement in the number of repetitions under the M1 condition could reflect an optimization in the transmission of motor commands and better management of neuromuscular fatigue [18]. On the other hand, DLPFC stimulation, although less effective in this respect than M1, may be more related to improving motivation and mental endurance [11; 12], which are equally crucial for performance in both physically and cognitively demanding exercises. These findings highlight the importance of properly selecting the target and parameters of tDCS to maximize the specific benefits sought in different types of physical training. The findings of this study are consistent with previous research exploring the influence of tDCS in different brain areas on physical performance [9; 27]. In the study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [9], the effects of tDCS targeted at the DLPFC and M1 on physical performance, psychophysiological responses, and cognitive function were evaluated during a high-intensity test on a cycle ergometer (i.e., three sets of 30 s; Wingate). Although no improvements in anaerobic performance were observed, stimulation of the DLPFC significantly reduced the perception of effort and enhanced cognitive function, suggesting that modulation of this area may influence endurance and effort management during intense exercise [9]. In a recent study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [27], a crossover design was also implemented to examine the effect of tDCS on the DLPFC and M1 under normobaric hypoxia conditions. The authors found that stimulation of the DLPFC not only enhanced endurance performance but also increased muscular activity and reduced the RPE, in contrast to the effects observed with stimulation over M1, which showed no significant