Effects of Mental Fatigue Duration on Cortical Activity and Jump Performance

"This study investigates whether the length of time spent on a mentally demanding task affects brain activity and jumping performance in physically active young men. Twelve healthy male university students, all regularly engaged in sport, completed four separate testing sessions on different days, each at least 72 hours apart. In one session (the control condition), participants watched a calm nature documentary. In the other three sessions, mental fatigue was induced by having participants perform a demanding attention task (the Stroop color-word test) continuously for 10, 15, or 30 minutes. Before and after each session, brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG), a painless method that measures electrical activity through sensors placed on the scalp. Immediately afterward, participants performed a countermovement jump test, a standard measure of explosive leg power used in sports science. The study examines whether longer periods of mental fatigue produce progressively larger changes in brain activity and jump performance, and whether changes in brain activity are related to changes in jumping ability. The findings may help athletes, coaches, and students better understand how mentally tiring activities, such as studying or exams, could affect physical performance shortly afterward."

Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy male volunteers aged 18-30 years * Enrolled in the Faculty of Sport Sciences at İnönü University * Engaged in structured exercise at least three days per week * Free of any neurological, psychiatric, cardiovascular, or musculoskeletal disorder * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision * Physically capable of completing the experimental protocol safely Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed neurological, psychiatric, cardiovascular, or musculoskeletal disorder * Lower-limb injury within the preceding 6 months * Use of medication known to affect central nervous system function * Prior diagnosis of a sleep disorder * Uncorrectable visual impairment or any disturbance of color perception * Cognitive or sensory limitation likely to interfere with performance of the Stroop task * Failure to complete a session in full, non-compliance with investigator instructions during testing, inability to produce an EEG recording of analyzable quality for technical reasons, or discontinuation of the experimental procedure for any reason * Non-compliance with pre-session restrictions (vigorous physical exercise or alcohol consumption within 24 hours before each session; caffeine, energy drinks, or other stimulant substances within 12 hours before each session)