Premium
Effect of overreaching on cognitive performance and related cardiac autonomic control
Author(s) -
Dupuy O.,
Lussier M.,
Fraser S.,
Bherer L.,
Audiffren M.,
Bosquet L.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2012.01465.x
Subject(s) - stroop effect , medicine , heart rate variability , heart rate , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , endurance training , cognition , physical therapy , cardiology , psychology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , audiology , blood pressure , psychiatry
The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of a 2‐week overload period immediately followed by a 1‐week taper period on different cognitive processes including executive and nonexecutive functions, and related heart rate variability. Eleven male endurance athletes increased their usual training volume by 100% for 2 weeks, and decreased it by 50% for 1 week. A maximal graded test, a constant speed test at 85% of peak treadmill speed, and a S troop task with the measurement of heart rate variability were performed at each period. All participants were considered as overreached. We found a moderate increase in the overall reaction time to the three conditions of the S troop task after the overload period (816 ± 83 vs 892 ± 117 ms , P = 0.03) followed by a return to baseline after the taper period (820 ± 119 ms , P = 0.013). We found no association between cognitive performance and cardiac parasympathetic control at baseline, and no association between changes in these measures. Our findings clearly underscore the relevance of cognitive performance in the monitoring of overreaching in endurance athletes. However, contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find any relationship between executive performance and cardiac parasympathetic control.