NCT04005846

tDCS to Increase Aerobic Performance in Runners

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to Improve Maximal Aerobic Performance in Recreational and Trained Runners

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1 / Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 53 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Liege · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 18 Years – 35 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Many different factors affect running performance, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a widely used and available neuromodulation tool and could hypothetically facilitate the supraspinal drive and thereby act upstream of the motor cortex to prolong the muscles work in time to exhaustion trials. While it appears to decrease the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during cycling, little is known about the effects of tDCS on physiological performance parameters such as maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and lactate thresholds in runners. The aim of this prospective randomized sham-controlled clinical trial is to investigate the physiological effects of tDCS applied over the motor cortex on perceived exertion and performance-related parameters measured by an incremental treadmill test to exhaustion. This research thus aims at answering the following questions: 1. Is active tDCS applied bilaterally over the motor cortex significantly more efficient than sham tDCS to improve the TTE? 2. Does active tDCS decreases the RPE, as compared to sham? 3. Is there any significant difference between active and sham tDCS on the physiological parameters measured during an incremental test to exhaustion, namely: VO2max, MAS, respiratory exchange ratio, blood lactate levels, maximal heart rate? 4. Does the baseline level of physical fitness influences response to tDCS? The investigators hypothesize that 1) performance as measured by time to exertion will be increased following active and not sham tDCS due to a decreased perceived rate of exertion without significantly altering the other physiological parameters; and 2) performance as measured by incremental treadmill test to exhaustion will be more improved in recreational as compared to trained runners.

Conditions

• Athletic Performance

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)	The active session of tDCS will consist in applying two anodes over M1 bilaterally (C3 and C4 according to the 10-20 international EEG placement) and the cathodes over the occipital areas (O1 and O2), and to inject 2 mA for 20 minutes through sponge electrodes (35 cm²) placed on the scalp using the Startsim 8 (Neuroelectrics, Barcelona). The sham tDCS will use the same montage and device but direct current will only be injected for 30 seconds, with a ramp-up and ramp-down 15 seconds period, to mimic the somatosensory effects of active tDCS.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-09-01
• Primary completion: 2023-04-15
• Completion: 2023-04-15
• First posted: 2019-07-02
• Last updated: 2023-05-09

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Belgium