Walter Staiano

• BSc, MSc, Ph.D
• Performance Physiologist and Sport Neurophysiologist at University of Valencia

The psychobiological model of endurance performance proposes that perception of effort is the ultimate determinant of endurance performance. Therefore, any physiological or psychological factor affecting perception of effort will affect endurance performance. Accordingly this novel study investigated the effects of a frequently used psychological s...

In exercise physiology, it has been traditionally assumed that high-intensity aerobic exercise stops at the point commonly called exhaustion because fatigued subjects are no longer able to generate the power output required by the task despite their maximal voluntary effort. We tested the validity of this assumption by measuring maximal voluntary c...

Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity. Although the impact of mental fatigue on cognitive and skilled performance is well known, its effect on physical performance has not been thoroughly investigated. In this randomized crossover study, 16 subjects cycled to exhaustion at 80% of thei...

INTRODUCTION Mental fatigue (MF) has a detrimental effect on endurance performance by altering perceptual responses of effort despite no changes in physiological parameters (Marcora et al., 2009). Moreover, recent studies have proven that MF does not alter anaerobic capacity in a 3 min all out cycling exercise (Martin et al., 2014). The present stu...

Purpose: Given the important role of the brain in regulating endurance performance, this comparative study sought to determine whether professional road cyclists have superior inhibitory control and resistance to mental fatigue compared to recreational road cyclists. Methods: After preliminary testing and familiarization, eleven professional and...

Purpose Acute ingestion of a ketone monoester with co-ingestion of a carbohydrate (KME + CHO) compared to carbohydrate (CHO) was investigated on cycling performance and cognitive performance in trained females. Methods Using a two condition, placebo-controlled, double-blinded and crossover design, twelve trained females (mean ± SD: age, 23 ± 3 y...

Exogenous ketones have shown potential to mitigate cognitive decrements in states of fatigue, but studies in females are limited. Following a familiarization session and a baseline session without a mental fatiguing protocol (MF), 12 females completed two experimental sessions, consisting of a battery of cognitive tests (psychomotor vigilance test...

Background: Stress-related mental health disorders have steadily increased and contributed to a worldwide disease burden with up to 50% experiencing a stress-related mental health disorder worldwide. Data suggest that only approximately 20%-65% of individuals receive treatment. This gap in receiving treatment may be attributed to barriers such as l...

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of brain endurance training (BET) on endurance and cognitive performance in road cyclists. Design: Two independent randomized controlled pretest-posttest training studies. Methods: In both studies cyclists trained five times/week for six weeks and completed either cognitive response inhibition tasks (Post-BE...

Purpose: Mental fatigue (MF) can impair physical performance in sport. We tested the hypothesis that cognitive load alone, and intermixed with standard resistance training, would induce MF, increase rating of perceived exertion (RPE), alter perception of weight lifting and training, and impair cycling time-trial performance. Methods: This 2-part...

BACKGROUND Stress is accepted as a contributing factor to the onset of a range of adverse mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. There is an urgent need for effective digital mental health interventions to address the adverse outcomes of stress-related disorders. Few studies have directly demonstrated the efficacy of app-based m...

Background Stress-related mental health disorders have steadily increased and contributed to a worldwide disease burden with up to 50% experiencing a stress-related mental health disorder worldwide. Data suggest that only approximately 20%-65% of individuals receive treatment. This gap in receiving treatment may be attributed to barriers such as li...

UNSTRUCTURED Stress is accepted as a contributing factor to the onset of a range of adverse mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. There is an urgent need for effective digital mental health interventions to address the adverse outcomes of stress-related disorders. Few studies have directly demonstrated the efficacy of app-based...

Background Occupational stress has huge financial as well as human costs. Application of crowdsourcing might be a way to strengthen the investigation of occupational mental health. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess Danish employees’ stress and cognition by relying on a crowdsourcing approach, as well as investigating the effect of a 30-...

Purpose: Brain endurance training (BET)—the combination of physical training with mentally fatiguing tasks—could help athletes adapt and increase their performance during sporting competitions. Here we tested whether BET completed after standard physical training improved physical and mental performance more than physical training alone during a pr...

Purpose To evaluate the effect of a Pilates exercise program (PEP) on FRR and FRR asymmetry of the erector spinae (ES) muscle during standing maximal trunk flexion/extension in women with chronic low-back pain (LBP). A secondary goal was to investigate the effect of PEP on full trunk flexion ROM (TFRoM), pain intensity and functional capacity and a...

Physical activity (PA) is a major health factor and studies suggest workplaces could promote PA by modifying office design, motivational strategies and technology. The present study aims to evaluate the efficiency of UP150, a multifactorial workplace intervention for the improvement and maintenance of the level of physical fitness (PF) and wellbein...

Background Occupational stress has huge financial as well as human costs. Application of crowdsourcing might be a way to strengthen the investigation of occupational mental health. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess Danish employees’ stress and cognition by relying on a crowdsourcing approach, as well as investigating the effect of a 30-...

Objective Recent studies illustrate that lapses of attention and mind wandering severely hinder performance on tasks which require cognitive function during acute stress. Recent studies provide support that mindfulness training enables stress-reduction and enhancement of cognitive control. However, it is not yet clear if mindfulness can mediate the...

Elite youth athletes are exposed to many stressors in sport and non-sport contexts and may benefit from the ability to be present in the moment and focus on the task at hand. Such skills are cultivated in mindfulness training. Guided by separate semi-structured interview guides for athletes and coaches, we interviewed eight male youth national team...

Mental fatigue is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of demanding cognitive activity which results in slower reaction time and attention deficits. The main aim of the current study was to investigate whether two types of interventions, specifically mindfulness and music/binaural beats, could reduce the negative effects of mental f...

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have recently proved that mental fatigue (MF) alters perception of effort and decreases endurance performance. However, there is lack of scientific evidences on the effect of MF on weight lifting and resistance training (RT). This 2-part study aimed to investigate, firstly, the effect of a mentally demanding task on su...

The experience of a wandering mind is common for most people, and it has been estimated that mind wandering occupies up to 46% of our thoughts during the day. There are recent studies showing entrainment effects leading to a decrease in mind wandering. However, it is not clear if there are state-dependent interventions that may provide a reduction...

INTRODUCTION: It has been hypostasized that acute negative effect of mental fatigue (MF) could potentially become a training stimulus for the brain (Brain endurance training [BET]) to adapt and improve its ability to better sustain or attenuate MF states during sport competitions. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of BET to reduce fati...

Purpose: Several studies have examined the effect of MF on sport performance, but no studies have been conducted on badminton performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine the acute effect of mental fatigue (MF) on badminton performance in elite players. Methods: In total, 19 elite Danish badminton players completed 2 test days in...

The capacity to sustain high-intensity aerobic exercise is essential for endurance performance. Therefore, it is important to understand what is the factor limiting time to exhaustion (TTE) in healthy and fit adults. In Study 1, maximal voluntary cycling power (MVCP) was measured in 11 volunteers before and immediately after a high-intensity TTE te...

Background: The present study aimed to assess the impact of 60 min of a cognitive demanding task inducing mental fatigue (Stroop) on kayaking performance in young elite athletes. The second objective was to elucidate the effect of mental fatigue on performance in a population of young under-17 elite athletes of national. Methods: Thirteen under-...

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to assess the impact of 60 min of a cognitive demanding task inducing mental fatigue (Stroop) on kayaking performance in young elite athletes. The second objective was to elucidate the effect of mental fatigue on performance in a population of young under-17 elite athletes of national. METHODS: Thirteen under-17...

Performance, physiological and psychological data. (XLSX)

Stroop performance data for professional and recreational road cyclists. (XLSX)

Perception of effort, as the subjective rating of how hard, heavy and strenuous a physical task is, is an important motivational component of physical exercise. Although extensively studied, its concept is often confused with other sensations like pain which refers to an unpleasant and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue...

Introduction: Mental fatigue (MF) increases perceived exertion (RPE) and impairs endurance performance in recreationally-trained athletes (Marcora 2009; Pageaux 2014). The effect of MF on elite athletes is unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the performance, physiological and psychological responses of elite cyclists following a bout of men...

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that caffeine can reduce the negative effect of mental fatigue during a physical task.