Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Capacity to Perform Burpees
NCT Number: NCT06472882
Status: COMPLETED
Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Phases: NA
Conditions: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation|Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex|Primary Motor Cortex
Interventions: DEVICE: tDCS targeting DLPFC|DEVICE: tDCS targeting M1|DEVICE: SHAM tDCS
Sponsor: Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
Collaborators: University of A Coruna, La Coruna, Spain
Sex: MALE
Age: ADULT
Enrollment: 20
Study Design: Allocation: RANDOMIZED|Intervention Model: PARALLEL|Masking: DOUBLE (PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR)|Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
Start Date: 2024-01-06
Completion Date: 2024-04-15
Locations: Catholic University of Murcia, Guadalupe, Murcia, 30107, Spain

Summary:
Introduction and Background:

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has emerged as a potential intervention to improve physical performance. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effects of tDCS applied to the primary motor cortex (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on performance in a maximal effort task, specifically the No Jump Burpee exercise.

Study Design:

This study will utilize a double-blind crossover design, where each subject will complete three experimental conditions: a-DLPFC, a-M1, and SHAM.

Participants:

Twenty healthy male subjects will be recruited for the study.

Intervention:

Each participant will undergo three conditions in a randomized order:

a-DLPFC: tDCS applied to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

a-M1: tDCS applied to the primary motor cortex. SHAM: Placebo stimulation.

Procedure:

Prior to performing the No Jump Burpee exercise to exhaustion, tDCS will be administered at a current of 2 milliampere (mA) for 20 minutes.

Measurements:

The following variables will be measured during the exercise:

Total number of repetitions of the No Jump Burpee exercise. Vastus lateralis muscle oxygen saturation. Heart rate. Subjective perception of exertion (RPE).

Data Analysis:

Repeated measures ANOVAs will be used to analyze the effects of the different tDCS conditions on the performance outcomes.

Ethical Considerations:

The study protocol will be reviewed and approved by an appropriate ethics committee. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants before participation in the study.

Objectives:

The primary objective is to evaluate the impact of tDCS on physical performance, specifically measuring the total number of repetitions of the No Jump Burpee exercise. Secondary objectives include assessing the changes in muscle oxygen saturation, heart rate, and subjective perception of exertion.

Primary Outcome Measures: Number of "No Jump Burpees" to Exhaustion, The primary objective of the study is to measure the number of repetitions of the "No Jump Burpee" exercise that participants can perform until exhaustion. This exercise is performed at a cadence of 20 burpees per minute, and exhaustion is determined when the participant can no longer maintain the correct pace or technique., Measured immediately at the end of each experimental session (DLPFC, M1, SHAM), approximately 5-10 minutes after the start of the test..
Secondary Outcome Measures: Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Assessment of perceived exertion using the Borg CR10 scale, measured every 20 seconds during exercise., Measured every 20 seconds during exercise, from the start until the participant reaches exhaustion, approximately 5-15 minutes per session.|Muscle Oxygen Saturation in the Vastus Lateralis, Continuous measurement of muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2) using a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) device., Measured continuously at a frequency of 1 Hz during the exercise, from the start until the participant reaches exhaustion, approximately 5-15 minutes per session.|Heart Rate During Exercise, Continuous measurement of heart rate during the performance of the "No Jump Burpee" exercise until exhaustion., Measured continuously on a beat-by-beat basis during the exercise, from the start until the participant reaches exhaustion, approximately 5-15 minutes per session.
Other Outcome Measures: Mood State Before Exercise, Assessment of mood state using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) before and after each exercise session. The POMS is a psychological rating scale used to assess transient, distinct mood states. The scale consists of 65 items, each rated on a 5-point scale from 0 (Not at all) to 4 (Extremely). The minimum score is 0, and the maximum score is 260. Higher scores indicate a worse mood state., Before each experimental session.|Anxiety Level Before Exercise, Assessment of anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) before each exercise session. The BAI is a 21-item self-report inventory used to measure the severity of an individual's anxiety. Each item is scored on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 3 (Severely). The minimum score is 0, and the maximum score is 63. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety.e session., Before each experimental session|Sleep Quality on the Night Prior to Exercise, Assessment of sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before each exercise session. The PSQI is a self-rated questionnaire that assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month time interval. It consists of 19 items, generating seven component scores that add up to a global score. The global score ranges from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating worse sleep quality., Before each experimental session.