The Role Of Mental Fatigue In Modulating Reaction Time Among Athletes

The Role Of Mental Fatigue In Modulating Reaction Time Among AthletesGian Mario Migliaccio, Glori Di Filippo, Tania Orgiana, Johnny Padulo, Luca Russo PURPOSE: Mental fatigue (MF) is defined as a decline in one’s psychobiological state caused by cognitive activity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of (MF) on reaction times (RTs) and heart rate (HR) in athletes, particularly examining gender differences in response to MF. The focus was on understanding how prolonged cognitive stress impacts athletes' physical responses and performance. METHODS: A total of 64 athletes (average age 31.7 ± 6.2 years) participated in this study. They underwent a 15-minute Stroop test (PsyTool) consisting of 600 tasks with five different colors. HR was monitored before, during, and at intervals of one, three-, and five-minutes post-test. RTs were measured before and after the Stroop test. Analysis included a General Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) and Bonferroni post hoc test for HR, and a two-way ANOVA for pre-/post-Stroop RTs, with a significance level set at α = 0.05. RESULTS: The GLMM analysis of HR revealed significant changes over time (p < 0.001) and in the time × group interaction (p = 0.004). RTs increased significantly from pre- to post-Stroop test (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in HR measurements pre- and post-Stroop test, or at the one, three, and five-minute intervals post-test. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that both male and female athletes exhibit a similar decrease in performance (RTs) under mental fatigue. This decrease is likely due to the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which functions as a relaxation response under stress. The findings indicate that mental fatigue, induced during training, can be used by athletes to enhance their adaptation to delays in motor task response times. This could have significant implications for training strategies in sports where cognitive stress and quick response times are crucial.