A New Incremental Cycling Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Test to Assess Simultaneous Sustained Attention and Neuromuscular Fatigue in Trained Athletes.

Cognitive performance during cognitive-motor dual-task (CMDT) varies with exercise intensity. According to the inverted-U theory, low-to-moderate intensity enhances cognition, but this remains unexplored in trained individuals who may better sustain cognitive performance at high intensities due to improved prefrontal cortex (PFC) homeostasis. Additionally, how sustained attention influences neuromuscular fatigue during whole-body CMDT is unclear.

Sex Differences in Sustained Attention Performance and Neuromuscular Fatigue During an Intense Cognitive-Motor Dual Task in Normoxia and Hypoxia.

Purpose: As females have been shown to exhibit greater resistance to fatigue in muscles but lower hypoxia-induced cerebral oxygen saturation during whole-body exercise, this study was conducted to assess their responses to intense cognitive-motor dual-task (CMDT) situations. Recent research has shown that intense CMDT involving whole-body exercise increases neuromuscular fatigue and impairs cognitive performance, both exacerbated in hypoxic conditions.

Methods: Twenty-two healthy young adults (11 females) first performed a session in normoxia, including separated cognitive (CTLCOG), and cycling tasks (CTLEX).