SCIENCE - Articles of the month: October 2024 - Training #2: Mental Fatigue, Injury Risk, Performance: Schampheleer and Roelands (2024). Mental Fatigue in Sport-From Impaired Performance to Increased Injury Risk. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance.

Mental fatigue is an increasingly studied topic in sport science. Resulting from prolonged cognitive effort, it can have
significant effects on athletic performance. Since the publication of an influential systematic review in 2017, research
on mental fatigue in sport has expanded considerably. Numerous studies have highlighted its negative impact on
various aspects of performance, ranging from physical abilities to technical and tactical skills. However, despite this
accumulation of knowledge, a crucial aspect remains largely unexplored: the potential link between mental fatigue and
injury risk in sport. In this context, researchers Emilie Schampheleer and Bart Roelands have undertaken to review the
current state of knowledge regarding performance parameters affected by mental fatigue, while opening new research
perspectives on its potential role in increasing injury risk among athletes.
Interview with Emilie Schampheleer and Bart Roelands, the two authors of this paper, who are affiliated at
Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research Group, Faculty of Physical Education and
Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, and BruBotics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.