Can you go the extra mile? : the effect of ego depletion on endurance performance

Abstract

We tested the assumption, that individuals (N = 13 participants) would perform worse in a cycling endurance task and would invest less effort under ego depletion than with temporarily available self-control strength. Participants' self-control strength was experimentally manipulated (non-depletion vs ego depletion, order counterbalanced) in a within-subjects design (two points of measurement, 48 hours apart) before participants performed a 6 km time trial on an indoor track. Non-parametric bootstrapping revealed that ego depletion had the most obvious effect on power output and cycling times per lap at the beginning of the time-trial. The effect of ego depletion on revolutions per minute and heart rate was large in the early parts of the time-trial, faded somewhat during the middle, while it increased again towards the end of the time-trial. The current study suggests that it might be beneficial to develop strategies which help to replenish depleted self-control strength.