Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42099913›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in physiology2026

Fatigue protocols and athletic performance: a systematic review with a focus on ecological relevance.

Ying Yu, Xinbi Zhang, Na Zhang, Yansheng Qu, Xuyang Wang, Ke He

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ying YuSchool of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Xinbi ZhangSchool of Kinesiology and Health, Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing, China.
Na ZhangSports Coaching College, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China.
Yansheng QuSchool of Physical Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China.
Xuyang WangVolleyball Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, Beijing, China.
Ke HeSports Department, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Fatigue is a major factor influencing athletic performance, yet findings across studies remain inconsistent. This inconsistency is likely related to substantial heterogeneity in fatigue-induction protocols, fatigue verification methods, and performance outcomes. This systematic review aimed to synthesize current evidence on the effects of sports fatigue on athletic performance and to discuss the ecological relevance of existing experimental fatigue models. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus up to November 2025. Randomized controlled trials with crossover or parallel-group designs investigating athletic performance under fatigue in trained athletes were eligible for inclusion. Results: A total of 56 experimental studies were included. Physical fatigue generally impaired physical performance, whereas its effects on perceptual-cognitive performance were heterogeneous across protocols, tasks, and outcome measures. Mental fatigue generally impaired endurance, motor skill, and perceptual-cognitive performance, with less consistent evidence for strength- and power-related outcomes. Evidence on dual fatigue was limited but suggested negative effects on endurance and perceptual-cognitive performance. Conclusion: Current evidence is characterized by considerable heterogeneity in fatigue-induction protocols, fatigue verification methods, and performance outcomes. Single-fatigue paradigms remain valuable for mechanistic isolation, whereas dual-fatigue paradigms may offer complementary ecological relevance by approximating the concurrent physical and cognitive demands of sport. Future research should develop more standardized and ecologically valid fatigue models and further examine potential countermeasures, including neuroenhancement tools and targeted training strategies.

Indexed as

athletic performancedual fatigueecological relevancemental fatiguephysical fatigue

Identifiers

PMID42099913
PMCPMC13143685

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.