The effects of mental fatigue on sport-related performance
Résumé
Mental fatigue is known to increase subjective feelings of fatigue and to decrease cognitive performance, but its impact on physical performance remains poorly understood. The aim of this chapter was to review the results of 29 studies published between 2009 and April 2018 and focusing on the impact of mental fatigue on sport-related performance. Taken all studies together, it appears that mental fatigue impairs endurance performance, motor skills performance and decision-making performance. However, maximal force production is not reduced in the presence of mental fatigue. These observations suggest that mental fatigue impairs sport-related performance during exercises performed at a submaximal intensity and not during exercises performed at maximal and supramaximal intensity. The negative impact of mental fatigue on submaximal exercises seems to be mediated by an increase in perception of effort. Future studies should now identify the physiological alterations induced by mental fatigue and responsible of the increased perceived effort.
Mots clés
locomotor muscle fatigue
endurance performance
physical performance
sex-differences
information capacity
muscular fatigue
cycling exercise
ego depletion
Cognitive fatigue
Perception of effort
Perceived exertion
Force production capacity
Motor skills
Decision-making
Psychophysiology
intermittent recovery test
anterior cingulate cortex