Biology subjects

Ciria, L. F.

Publications and source records attributed to Ciria, L. F..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2018

tDCS over the left prefrontal cortex does not affect time-trial self-paced cycling performance: Evidence from oscillatory brain activity and power output.

ObjectivesTo test the hypothesis that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences performance in a 20-min time-trial self-paced exercise and electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillatory brain activity in a group of trained male cyclists.\n\nDesignThe study consisted of a pre-registered (https://osf.io/rf95j/), randomised, sham-controlled, single-blind, within-subject design experiment.\n\nMethods36 trained male cyclists, age 27 (6.8) years, weight 70.1 (9.5) Kg; VO2max: 54 (6.13) ml.min-1.kg-1, Maximal Power output: 4.77 (0.6) W/kg completed a 20-min time-trial self-paced exercise in three separate sessions, corresponding to three stimulation conditions: anodal, cathodal and sham. tDCS was administered before each test during 20-min at a current intensity of 2.0 mA. The anode electrode was placed over the DLPFC and the cathode in the contralateral shoulder. In each session, power output, heart rate, sRPE and EEG (at baseline and during exercise) was measured.\n\nResultsThere were no differences (F = 0.31, p > 0.05) in power output between the stimulation conditions: anodal (235 W [95%CI 222 - 249 W]; cathodal (235 W [95%CI 222 - 248 W] and sham (234 W [95%CI 220 - 248 W]. Neither heart rate, sRPE nor EEG activity were affected by tDCS (all Ps > 0.05).\n\nConclusiontDCS over the left DLFC did not affect self-paced exercise performance in trained cyclists. Moreover, tDCS did not elicit any change on oscillatory brain activity either at baseline or during exercise. Our data suggest that the effects of tDCS on endurance performance should be taken with caution.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2017

Tonic and transient oscillatory brain activity during acute exercise

The physiological changes that occur in the main body systems and organs during physical exercise are well described in the literature. Despite the key role of brain in processing afferent and efferent information from organ systems to coordinate and optimize their functioning, little is known about how the brain works during exercise. The present study investigated tonic and transient oscillatory brain activity during a single bout of aerobic exercise. Twenty young males (19-32 years old) were recruited for two experimental sessions on separate days. Electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded during a session of cycling at 80% (moderate-to-high intensity) of VO2max (maximum aerobic capacity) while performing an oddball task where participants had to detect infrequent targets presented among frequent non-targets. This was compared to a (baseline) light intensity session (30% VO2max). The light intensity session was included to control for any potential effect of dual-tasking (i.e., pedaling and performing the oddball task). A warm-up and cool down periods were completed before and after exercise, respectively. A cluster-based nonparametric permutations test showed an increase in power across the entire frequency spectrum during the moderate-to-high intensity exercise, with respect to light intensity. Further, we found that the more salient target lead to lower increase in (stimulus-evoked) theta power in the 80% VO2max with respect to the light intensity condition. On the contrary, higher decrease alpha and lower beta power was found for standard trials in the moderate-to-high exercise condition than in the light exercise condition. The present study unveils, for the first time, a complex brain activity pattern during acute exercise (at 80% of maximum aerobic capacity). These findings might help to elucidate the nature of changes that occur in the brain during physical exertion.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2017

Neural Responses to Heartbeats of Physically Trained and Sedentary Young Adults

Regular physical exercise has a positive impact on brain function and cognitive performance. However, it is not yet clear whether the physiological and behavioral benefits associated to physical exercise are caused exclusively by changes in cardiovascular fitness. Here, we explore the relation between regular physical exercise and transient electroencephalographic responses to afferent cardiac signals. We find differences in the neural processing of heartbeats between individuals who exercise regularly and their sedentary counterparts. These differences, localised at two distinct spatio-temporal clusters, occur before the presentation of a target stimulus and correlate with behavioral performance only in the high-fit group. We hypothesise that the different neural processing of afferent cardiac activity by physically trained individuals reflects enhanced interoceptive sensitivity, which contributes to improved sustained attention. Our results are in line with recent research highlighting the role of neural monitoring of visceral signals in perceptual processing and even the generation of the sense of self.

neuroscience↗