Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Does Not Affect Velocity Loss During a Typical Resistance Exercise Session.

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on velocity loss in a typical resistance exercise session.

Methods

Twelve recreationally resistance-trained males (age = 24.8 ± 3.0 years, body mass = 78.9 ± 13.6 kg, and height = 174.3 ± 7.3 cm) completed two experimental trials in a counterbalanced crossover design: anodal tDCS and sham conditions. The stimuli were applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 minutes, using a 2 mA current intensity in anodal tDCS and a 1-minute active stimulus in the sham condition. After stimulation, subjects performed three sets of the bench press at a 70% of 1 maximum repetition intensity and 1 min of inter-set rest. The velocity loss was calculated as the relative difference between the fastest repetition velocity (usually first) and the velocity of the last repetition of each set and averaged over all three sets.

Results

The results found no interaction between conditions and sets (P = .122), and no effect for conditions (P = .323) or sets (P = .364) for the velocity loss in each set. Also, no differences were found between the average velocity loss of the three sets in the anodal tDCS (-25.0 ± 4.7%) and sham condition (-23.3 ± 6.4%; P = .323).

Conclusion

Anodal tDCS does not affect movement velocity in a typical strength training protocol in recreationally trained subjects.