Effects of Mental Fatigue Induced by Stroop Task and by Social Media Use on Resistance Training Performance, Movement Velocity, Perceived Exertion, and Repetitions in Reserve: A Randomized and Double-Blind Crossover Trial

Carlos Alix‐Fages; González-Cano, Henar; Baz-Valle, Eneko; Carlos Balsalobre‐Fernández · 2023 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1123/mc.2022-0129

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Summary

This study investigated how mental fatigue (MF) induced by two distinct cognitive tasks—an incongruent Stroop task (ST) and intensive social media use (SM)—affects subsequent resistance training performance. The research was motivated by prior evidence suggesting that MF impairs physical endurance, potentially mediated by altered perceptions of exertion, though the specific impacts of common daily activities like social media use on strength endurance remained unclear. The authors aimed to compare these MF inducers against a control condition (watching a documentary) regarding repetitions performed, movement velocity, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and the ability to estimate repetitions in reserve (RIR). The study employed a randomized, double-blind crossover design involving 21 resistance-trained males. Participants attended three experimental sessions separated by seven days, each featuring a different 30-minute cognitive intervention: ST, SM, or control (CON). Following the cognitive task, subjects performed three sets of bench press exercises at 65% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM) until concentric failure. Key metrics recorded included the number of repetitions, mean movement velocity, RPE using the OMNI-RES scale, and estimated 3-RIR. Baseline and post-intervention mental fatigue and motivation were assessed via visual analogue scales. Results confirmed that both ST and SM effectively induced mental fatigue compared to the control, with ST inducing significantly higher levels of fatigue than SM. However, the impact on physical performance differed between conditions. Only the ST condition significantly impaired strength endurance, resulting in fewer repetitions performed in the second set compared to the control. This impairment was associated with significantly higher-than-normal RPE levels in the first set for the ST condition compared to SM. Conversely, while SM did not reduce the total number of repetitions, it significantly impaired neuromuscular performance by reducing movement velocity in the first set compared to the control. Neither MF condition significantly affected participants' motivation or their ability to accurately estimate repetitions in reserve, although absolute estimation errors tended to be higher in MF conditions during the first set. The findings indicate that while both demanding cognitive tasks induce mental fatigue, their effects on resistance training are distinct. Mental fatigue from a Stroop task primarily reduces strength endurance volume, likely mediated by increased perceived exertion. In contrast, social media use impairs the neuromuscular system's ability to produce force at speed (movement velocity) without reducing total work volume. The study concludes that demanding cognitive tasks should be minimized before resistance training to avoid performance decrements, noting that experienced lifters can still accurately gauge proximity to failure despite mental fatigue.

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• mental demand