Acute Effects of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Resistance and Power Exercises: A Brief Review for Coaches and Practitioners

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this brief review is to provide information about the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on performance in resistance and power exercises commonly used by the strength and conditioning community. The authors aimed to identify all publications investigating the effects of tDCS on performance with dynamic constant external resistance and power exercises. The performance was analyzed based on the training volume, as the number of repetitions performed in an absolute or relative load (1 RM—%). In addition, the peak power output was also analyzed as a secondary outcome. Based on the eligibility criteria, 13 studies were found. The results showed that applying anodal tDCS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex increased the training volume in exercises commonly used by the strength and conditioning community. However, anodal tDCS does not increase peak power output in upper and lower limbs. A discussion integrating tDCS into the resistance training based on the particular stimulated area was provided. Furthermore, this review provided some practical recommendations for the application of tDCS by coaches and practitioners of strength and conditioning.