Key result
Brain endurance training before physical exercise yields ~24% endurance improvement vs exercise alone.
Why the study?
Mental training during physical training can improve exercise performance but may not always be practical, prompting evaluation of the effects of mental training prior to physical training.
Does prior brain endurance training improve endurance exercise performance compared to physical training alone?
RCT (n=24)
Randomly assigned
Does prior brain endurance training improve endurance exercise performance compared to physical training alone?
Absolute Event Rate: 24% vs 12%
p-value: p=<0.05
Mental training before physical training improves endurance performance more than physical training alone, potentially due to improved prefrontal oxygenation.
May enhance endurance training outcomes when added before physical sessions; extends cognitive training applications in performance research.
Mental fatigue (MF) impairs endurance exercise performance. Brain endurance training (BET) describes the systematic repetition of mentally‐fatiguing cognitive tasks designed to build resilience to MF and improve endurance performance. Evidence to date shows that mental training during physical training can benefit post‐training exercise performance, however, this concurrent BET approach may not be practical for all settings. Therefore, the current study evaluated the effects of mental training before physical training (prior BET) on exercise performance. A randomised control trial design: pre‐test, training (BET, control), post‐test. During the pre‐test and post‐test sessions, participants performed a 5‐min rhythmic handgrip task requiring the generation of as much force as possible, a 20‐min 2‐back working memory task, and another 5‐min rhythmic handgrip task. Participants were randomly assigned to a BET (n = 12) or control group (n = 12). Both groups completed the same submaximal rhythmic handgrip training for five weeks (four sessions per week). The BET group also completed 20‐min cognitive training (2‐back working memory task, incongruent colour‐word Stroop task) before each submaximal exercise training session. Endurance performance improved more (p < 0.05) following BET (24%) than physical training alone (12%). Compared to the control group, the BET group showed higher prefrontal oxygenation during the post‐test exercise tasks (p < 0.05). Both groups were characterised by the same exertion, motivation, heart rate, and heart rate variability. Mental training before physical training improves endurance performance greater than physical training alone. The benefits of prior BET may be explained, at least in part, by improved prefrontal oxygenation.
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Dallaway et al. (2022) reported an RCT. Brain endurance training (BET) prior to physical training vs. Physical training alone was evaluated on Endurance performance improvement (p=<0.05). Brain endurance training prior to physical training improved endurance performance by 24% compared to 12% with physical training alone (p<0.05).
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