Introduction
fatigue, fatiguability
CORTEX
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that can induce both excitatory and inhibitory cortical effects depending on the polarity of the stimulation administered [There is conflict in the literature as to whether tDCS can augment muscle strength and endurance performance. There are many studies that have demonstrated that tDCS is effective at increasing maximal muscle force and endurance [However, many others report no significant effects or decreases of muscle force or endurance when stimulating the motor cortex [Meta-analyses of the overall literature tend to suggest small magnitude improvements in muscle strength [Almost all tDCS studies provide stimulation contralateral to the tested muscle. A 2-week strength training program with a-tDCS to the ipsilateral M1 provided prolonged (48 hours) improvements in strength [Examinations of cortical and spinal excitability of the contralateral, non-exercised limb after an acute session of unilateral fatiguing exercise (monitoring of ipsilateral corticospinal influences) have revealed conflicting results with both decreases [A previous study reported that cathodal tDCS effects were greater in magnitude and duration for female participants when compared to males [The main goal of this study was to determine whether unihemispheric a-tDCS of the left M1 is capable of modulating maximal force production or fatiguability of either the contralateral or ipsilateral KE. It was hypothesized that there would be an increase in maximal force production and fatigue resistance in the contralateral and ipsilateral KE in relation to the site of tDCS. Due to the lack of literature on sex dependent effects of a-tDCS effects on motor function, this research question was exploratory.