tDCS to Increase Aerobic Performance in Runners

NCT ID: NCT04005846

Last Updated: 2023-05-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1/PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 53 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2023-04-15

Brief 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

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: QUADRUPLE

Study Groups

Active tDCS first / Sham tDCS second

Receiving active tDCS during the first visit followed by sham tDCS on the next visit

Group Type: OTHER

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

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.

Sham tDCS first / Active tDCS second

Receiving sham tDCS during the first visit followed by active tDCS on the next visit

Group Type: OTHER

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

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.

Interventions

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.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy subject
• Regular running activity above 2 hours/week
• VO2max above 30 mL/min/kg

Exclusion Criteria

• Pacemaker
• Intracerebral metallic implant
• Smoking
• Using dietary supplementation or medication potentially affecting the CNS
• Musculoskeletal injury within the past 6 weeks

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Liege

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Géraldine Martens

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

ISEPK ULiège

Liège, , Belgium

Countries

Belgium

References

Martens G, Hody S, Bornheim S, Angius L, De Beaumont L, Fregni F, Ruffini G, Kaux JF, Thibaut A, Bury T. Can transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the motor cortex increase endurance running performance? a randomized crossover-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2024 Dec 5;19(12):e0312084. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312084. eCollection 2024.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 39637186 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

CE2019/186

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id