The effect of warm-up with transcranial direct current stimulation on performance factors in collegiate golfers

Abstract

[Purpose] This study aimed to determine the effects of warm-up using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on performance factors in collegiate golfers and to provide a scientific basis for the effectiveness and methodology of tDCS. We sought to compare the effects of tDCS as an additional treatment during warm-up. tDCS is generally activated when a small electric current is applied to the motor cortex of the cerebral cortex, which has been reported to be helpful in improving motor function. Therefore, we sought to prove the effectiveness of combined warm-up exercise and tDCS.[Methods] Twenty-two collegiate male golfers were divided into tDC- (tDCS; n=11) and sham-treated (sham; n=11) groups. To examine performance factors, the following were assessed following tDCS application: carry, clubhead speed (CHS), ball speed (BS) for driver performance, countermovement jump (CMJ) for lower extremity muscle power, global rating of change (GRC) for the subjective change in condition of the participants, and test of attentional interpersonal style (TAIS) for concentration.[Results] This study showed that warm-up with tDCS had positive effects on carry (<i>p</i>=.004), CHS (<i>p</i>=.019), BS (<i>p</i>=.017) of driver performance, CMJ (<i>p</i>=.002), and GRC (<i>p</i>=.005), however, no significant effect on TAIS was found, which suggest that the effects of the warm-up with tDCS were significant for driver performances, CMJ, and GRC.[Conclusion] Future studies should independently validate the effectiveness of tDCS and apply it to different situations and timeframes, such as training and competitions, to provide new alternative strategies or performance improvement.