Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhances Skill-Related Fitness Among the Under-15 Football Players

The body’s central nervous system plays an essential role in preventing fatigue and enhance exercise tolerance. The non-invasive technique of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can provide insight into the relationship between brain function and exercise performance. The objective of this study was to examine the difference in skill-related fitness between tDCS stimulation and non-stimulation among the Malaysian under-15 elite football players. This is a cross-over, randomised controlled trial study under the Malaysian National Football Development Programme (NFDP). Twenty participants aged between 14 to 15 years old, with at least two years of competitive experience representing the state, participated in this study. The participants’ anthropometric assessment of weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and body composition fat were measured. The participants were randomly assigned to receive 20 min of tDCS or sham stimulation. Skill-related fitness assessments consisted of sit and reach, hand grip strength, back and leg strength, standing long jump, vertical jump, 1-min sit-up and 1-min push up test were measured after the stimulation. The results showed that the participants who received tDCS stimulation showed a trend in improvement although showing no significant effect of tDCS stimulation on back and leg strength, standing long jump, and 1 min sit-up. The results showed that tDCS could enhance the skill-related fitness of football players.