Mental Fatigue Negatively Influences Manual Dexterity and Anticipation Timing but not Repeated High-intensity Exercise Performance in Trained Adults

Duncan, Michael; Fowler, Nicholas; George, Oliver; Joyce, S. A.; Hankey, Joanne · 2015 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2014.975811

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Summary

This study investigated whether mental fatigue impairs manual dexterity, coincidence anticipation timing, and repeated high-intensity exercise performance in trained adults. While previous research established that mental fatigue reduces endurance performance and maximal force production, its impact on anaerobic, intermittent exercise combined with perceptual-motor skills remained unclear. The authors aimed to determine if a period of sustained cognitive exertion negatively affects these specific capabilities, which are critical in team sports involving both physical effort and decision-making. Eight physically trained adults participated in a randomized, repeated-measures experimental design. Participants completed two conditions separated by 72 hours: a mental fatigue (MF) condition involving a 40-minute vigilance task using concentration grids, and a control (CON) condition involving passive video viewing. Following each condition, participants performed four 30-second Wingate anaerobic tests separated by four-minute rest periods. Manual dexterity was assessed using the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test, and coincidence anticipation timing was measured using a Bassin anticipation timer. These assessments were conducted before the fatigue/control protocol, immediately after, and after each Wingate test. Physiological markers, including heart rate, blood lactate, and rating of perceived exertion, were also recorded. The results indicated that mental fatigue significantly impaired perceptual-motor skills but did not affect anaerobic power output. Statistical analysis revealed significant condition-by-time interactions for both manual dexterity ($p = .021$) and coincidence anticipation absolute error ($p = .028$). Specifically, manual dexterity scores were poorer immediately post-fatigue and after the first Wingate test compared to the control condition. Similarly, anticipation timing accuracy was significantly worse in the MF condition immediately after the cognitive task and following each subsequent Wingate test. In contrast, there were no significant differences in mean power output, heart rate, blood lactate, or perceived exertion between the MF and CON conditions across the four exercise trials. The findings suggest that mental fatigue negatively influences perception-action coupling and fine motor skills without compromising repeated high-intensity anaerobic performance. This contrasts with prior studies showing reduced endurance performance, likely because high-intensity efforts rely on peripheral rather than central fatigue mechanisms. The authors conclude that while raw power output may remain intact, the degradation of anticipation and dexterity could impair overall performance in sports requiring simultaneous physical exertion and skilled decision-making. These results support the ego depletion model, indicating that cognitive effort depletes resources available for subsequent psychomotor tasks.

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