Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Its Application in Sports Performance

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is a noninvasive method of brain stimulation. Direct current is generated by the electrodes placed on the skull to regulate the excitability of the cerebral cortex. The anode tDCS produces an excitatory effect and the cathode tDCS produces an inhibitory effect. So far, tDCS has achieved many results in clinical research and application, confirming its good effect on chronic pain, neurological diseases and mental diseases. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the research and application of tDCS in sports science. This article collected and summarized nearly two decades of domestic and foreign literatures, briefly reviews the origin, development and mechanism of tDCS, focuses on its impact on sport performance in order to provide new methods and perspectives for ordinary people and athletes. Although there are different opinions on the conclusions and applications of tDCS for improving sport performance, many studies have been shown that it can improves muscle power, extend the time to exhaustion during exercise and promote motor skill's learning and acquisition. However, how to choose the stimulation parameters and position, especially the scientific combination of the training program, still needs to be paid great attention in the future.