9 Strategies to tackle Mental Fatigue.

(Proost et al., 2022)

Mental fatigue negatively affects recovery and physical and cognitive performance in several ways.

Proost et al., 2022 analyzed behavioral, physiological, and psychological strategies to reduce mental fatigue from 33 studies.

Results:

1.    Caffeine + Maltodextrin (drink or mouth rinse).

Caffeine alone or combined with glucose reduced symptoms of mental fatigue. A caffeine and maltodextrin mouth rinse also improved task performance.

2.    Music and binaural beats.

“A binaural beat is an illusion created by the brain when you simultaneously listen to two tones with slightly different frequencies.” You need to listen with stereo headphones for it to work.

3.    Mechanical massage.

Mechanical massage is the manipulation of soft tissues using machines.

4.    Mild steam bathing.

5.    Exposure to a natural environment.

6.    Mindfulness training.

7.    Naps and rest periods.

8.    Light aerobic exercise.

9.    Motivation interventions, such as adding a time-based reward.

Reference:

Proost M, Habay J, De Wachter J, De Pauw K, Rattray B, Meeusen R, Roelands B, Van Cutsem J. How to Tackle Mental Fatigue: A Systematic Review of Potential Countermeasures and Their Underlying Mechanisms. Sports Med. 2022 Sep;52(9):2129-2158.