Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Kinetic Parameters of Countermovement Jump in Healthy Non-elite Athletes

Abstract

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique for stimulating the brain that can alter brain excitability. Prior research has indicated that tDCS has the potential to enhance performance by increasing corticospinal excitability or improving muscle recruitment strategies. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether tDCS could enhance kinetic parameters of the countermovement jump (CMJ) in non-elite jumping athletes, specifically focusing on the maximum force, time to maximum force, and rate of force development. Additionally, the study aimed to assess whether any potential improvements persisted after one week. Methods: This study involved the participation of 48 healthy individuals within a double-blinded, randomized controlled design. The participants were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: Anodal tDCS, sham tDCS, and control. Both the anodal and sham tDCS groups underwent a series of three intervention sessions, with each session occurring 48 hours apart. Kinetic assessment of the lower limb during the CMJ was conducted using a force plate before and after these intervention sessions. Additionally, a follow-up evaluation session was conducted one week after the last intervention session to assess the persistence of the stimulation effects. The control group underwent kinetic assessments of the lower limb during the CMJ within a similar time frame as the other groups. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed for maximum force (P = 0.881), time to maximum force (P = 0.570), and rate of force development (P = 0.474) between the different conditions at any of the assessed time points. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that applying 20 minutes of anodal tDCS at 2 mA over the Cz region did not have an impact on the maximum force, time to maximum force, and rate of force development in the CMJ task among non-elite jumping athletes when compared to the Sham and Control conditions.