QEEG post-effects after the competition in Professional Female Soccer Players

Abstract

Brain central fatigue has been hypothesized as a factor affecting sports performance that generally occurs after a competition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to observe brain activities after participating in a competition. This study used quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) to evaluate brain central fatigue, and the results were analyzed in terms of brain connectivity (coherence) in the delta frequency bands. QEEGs were recorded from twenty-nine Thai professional female soccer players (mean age ± SD was 24.17 ± 2.633 years, mean height ± SD was 1.620 ± 5.552 meters, mean weight ± SD was 55.10 ± 5.853 kg). We recorded QEEG three times: twice before a competition (once a week) and one week after the competition. Data obtained were analyzed by using the Z-scored FFT method. The results of brain connectivity were represented in terms of coherence. The present study revealed brain central fatigue in athletes after the competition (p=.035 and p=.003). This condition could affect their performance during games. Moreover, the key players showed specific brain patterns that were significantly different from substitute players (p<.000). The brain commonly returns to a normal state after a competition. This phenomenon was observed in the substitute players. Contrastingly, key players (on the ground players) exhibited the brain central fatigue phenomenon. Our study confirmed that brain central fatigue can arise after a competition, and specific brain patterns can identify the level of sports performance. These findings are beneficial for predicting athletes’ performances in terms of aspects of the brain. This approach can be used to measure and interpret brain central fatigue conditions.