Sport Sciences and Health Research

Sport Sciences and Health Research

Multi-Session Pilot Study on the Efficacy of Left DLPFC tDCS on Cognitive Inhibition and Decision-Making in Endurance and Middle-Distance Athletes

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ali Nasiri 1
Farimah Mahipour 2
Mahboubeh Ghayour Najafabadi 2
1 Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Behavior and Cognitive Sciences in Sports, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/sshr.2026.406942.1226
Abstract
Background: Cognitive functions such as inhibitory control and decision-making critically influence endurance and middle-distance performance. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left DLPFC is a non-invasive approach proposed to enhance these functions and mitigate mental fatigue.
Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of tDCS on cognitive inhibition and sport-specific decision-making in professional endurance and middle-distance runners.
Methods and Materials: Ten male national-level runners were randomly assigned to receive either active tDCS or sham stimulation over three sessions, with one-day intervals.
Results: The results indicate that tDCS can enhance cognitive performance. In the Stroop task, the tDCS group exhibited faster reaction times compared to the Sham group (F(1,9)=4.59, P=0.034) and committed fewer errors (P=0.042), A significant main effect of time was found for both accuracy and reaction time, reflecting performance improvements across sessions. In the GPAI task, tDCS enhanced appropriate decision-making relative to Sham (F(1,9)=6.42, P=0.041), whereas its impact on reducing inappropriate decisions was less pronounced.
Conclusion: Three sessions of tDCS over the left DLPFC can acutely enhance cognitive inhibition and sport-specific decision-making in elite endurance and middle-distance runners. although larger studies are needed to confirm and generalize these results.
Keywords
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
Athletic Performance
Decision Making
Cognition
Sport Sciences and Health Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 07 June 2026