This study examined the effects of mental fatigue on sprint performance and physiological/psychological responses during submaximal cycling in elite cyclists. The researchers found that: 1) A 30-minute mentally fatiguing cognitive task did not impair athletes' all-out sprint performance. 2) However, the same mental fatigue task negatively impacted perceived exertion and altered physiological and psychological responses during continuous submaximal cycling. 3) While mental fatigue did not diminish maximum effort, it influenced how cyclists perceived and responded to exercise at constant submaximal loads.

1. MENTAL FATIGUE DOES NOT IMPAIR
ALL-OUT SPRINT IN ELITE TRACK CYCLISTS
BUT IT ALTERS PERCEPTUAL RESPONSES
DURING CONTINUOUS SUBMAXIMAL
EXERCISE
Dr. Walter Staiano
TEAMDANMARK (Danish Institute of Elite Sport)

2. Mental Fatigue
Psychobiological state
caused by prolonged
demanding cognitive
activity and
characterized by
subjective feelings of
“tiredness” and “lack of
energy”

3. Main Psychological Features
• Subjective feelings of tiredness and lack of energy
(mood), and aversion to further effort (motivation)
• Cognitive Performance:
• Impaired vigilance
• Impaired decision-making
• Impaired self-regulation
• (Boksem and Tops, 2008)

4. Effect of Mental Fatigue on psychological
factors
Motivation
Mood
Perceived Ability

5. (Marcora et al., JAP 2009) and (Pajeaux et al. 2014)
Control
MentalFatigue
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Time to exhaustion (min)
P <0.05
Mental Fatigue and Endurance
Performance

6. Mental Fatigue and anaerobic performance
Force during 5 s Maximal
Voluntary Contraction (MVC)

7. “Sport is a
demanding
activity requiring
more cognitive
skills that is often
appreciated.”

8. Aims of the study
• First aim was to assess if mental fatigue
induced by a cognitive demanding task would
affect all-out sprint in elite sprinter track
cyclists.
• Second aim was to asses if the same
cognitive demanding task would affect
physiological, psychological and perceptual
responses during a ramp test at constant
load.

9. Methods
• Subjects: 10 elite track cyclists (male)
• Design: Randomized, counterbalanced, cross-over, experimental
• Experimental treatment: Stroop task for 30 min
• Control treatment: neutral documentary
• Submaximal Ramp test: 3 x 5 min at 100, 150 and 200 W
• Sprint performance: 15 sec all out sprint at fix cadence 125
• Psychological measures: task-related motivation; 4DMS mood scale,
VAS Scale, NASA TLX, RPE (Borg, 1998)
• Physiological measures: blood lactate, heart rate and RPM during ramp
test and all out sprint.
BET / 11. oktober 2016

10. Results 1
NASA TLX
MF Control p
Nasa TLX MentalDemand 70±24 22±19 **
Nasa TLX PhysicalDemand 13.5±10 10.5±8
Nasa TLX Effort 69.5±20 26.0±21 **
Nasa TLX Frustration 66.5±20 26.0±17 **
VAS

11. All-out sprint test
MF Control MBI
Peak Power 1526±157 1519±164 89% is likely trivial
FI 40±9 41±9 Unclear
Mean Power 1211±171 1203±178 83% is likely trivial

12. Ramp test: Physiological parameters

13. Ramp Test: RPE

14. Conclusion
• 30 min of Stroop task did not impair 15sec
all-out sprint in elite track sprinter cyclists
• However the cognitive task was sufficient to
induce mental fatigue and produce an
negative effect on RPE during a submaximal
exercise at constant load.

15. Practical Implication:
Track Cycling
Physiological Component
• Power output
Production
• Aerobic Capacity
(Endurance)
• Anaerobic capacity
(Sprinter)
Technical and strategic skills
• Pacing
• Strategy to adopt
• Decision making
• Reaction time
• Posture

16. External Sources of Mental
Fatigue

18. BET / 11. oktober 2016
Thanks to:
Prof. Samuele Marcora
Dr Paolo Menaspa
Dr David Martin
Nicholas Flyger
Thanks to University of Kent and AIS