Mental Fatigue From Smartphone Use or Stroop Task Does Not Affect Bench Press Force–Velocity Profile, One-Repetition Maximum, or Vertical Jump Performance

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

DOI: 10.1123/mc.2022-0133

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Summary

This study investigated whether mental fatigue (MF) induced by cognitive exertion affects maximal strength and power performance in trained individuals. While previous research established that MF impairs endurance and strength endurance (repetitions to failure), its impact on all-out physical tasks, such as one-repetition maximum (1RM) lifts and vertical jumps, remained unclear. The authors aimed to determine if MF, induced by either a traditional laboratory task (Stroop task) or a daily real-world activity (social media use), would alter bench press force-velocity profiles, 1RM, or countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. The researchers employed a randomized, double-blind crossover design with 25 healthy, resistance-trained men. Participants completed three separate sessions, each separated by one week. In each session, subjects performed a 30-minute intervention: a control condition (watching a documentary), a Stroop task (incongruent color-word matching), or intense social media use on a smartphone. Following the intervention, participants rated their perceived mental fatigue and motivation using visual analogue scales. They then underwent a standardized warm-up and performed physical assessments, including two maximal CMJs and bench press trials at 50%, 70%, and 90% of their estimated 1RM to determine the force-velocity profile and maximal force, velocity, and power outputs. The 1RM was estimated from the load-velocity relationship. The results confirmed that both the Stroop task and social media use significantly increased perceived mental fatigue compared to the control condition, with the Stroop task inducing higher fatigue than social media. However, neither cognitive intervention significantly affected perceived motivation for the subsequent exercise. Crucially, there were no significant differences between the interventions for any physical performance metrics. CMJ height, bench press 1RM, and all force-velocity profile variables (maximal force, maximal velocity, and maximal power) remained unchanged regardless of the mental fatigue condition. The magnitude of differences between interventions for physical outcomes ranged from negligible to small. The study concludes that while cognitive exertion effectively induces mental fatigue, it does not impair maximal force or power production in trained individuals. This suggests that MF primarily affects tasks requiring sustained effort or endurance rather than all-out, short-duration efforts. The findings imply that coaches and athletes do not need to avoid cognitive tasks before maximal strength or power sessions, though caution may still be warranted before endurance training or competitions requiring complex decision-making. The study highlights a distinction in how mental fatigue impacts different types of physical performance, reinforcing that maximal neuromuscular capacity remains intact despite cognitive exhaustion.

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• mental demand