EEG–Metabolic Coupling and Time Limit at \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O2max During Constant-Load Exercise

Poinsard, Luc; Berthomier, Christian; Clémençon, Michel; Brandewinder, Marie; Essid, Slim; Damon, Cécilia; Rigaud, François; Bénichoux, Alexis; Maby, Emmanuel; Fornoni, Lesly; Bouchet, Patrick; Beers, Pascal Van; Massot, Bertrand; Revol, Patrice; Creveaux, Thomas; Collet, Christian; Mattout, Jérémie; Pialoux, Vincent; Billat, Véronique

doi:10.3390/jfmk10040369

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EEG–Metabolic Coupling and Time Limit at \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O₂max During Constant-Load Exercise

by

Luc Poinsard

¹

,

Christian Berthomier

²

,

Michel Clémençon

^3,4

,

Marie Brandewinder

⁵,

Slim Essid

⁶,

Cécilia Damon

⁶,

François Rigaud

⁶,

Alexis Bénichoux

⁶,

Emmanuel Maby

⁷

,

Lesly Fornoni

⁷

,

Patrick Bouchet

⁷,

Pascal Van Beers

⁸,

Bertrand Massot

⁹

,

Patrice Revol

¹⁰,

Thomas Creveaux

³,

Christian Collet

³

,

Jérémie Mattout

⁷

,

Vincent Pialoux

^3,11 and

Véronique Billat

^1,12,*

¹

Laboratoire Mouvement, Equilibre, Performance et Santé (EA 4445), Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, 65000 Tarbes, France

²

Physip, 6 Rue Gobert, 75011 Paris, France

³

Laboratoire Interuniversitaire de Biologie de la Motricité (UR 7424), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69100 Villeurbanne, France

⁴

Centre d’Études des Transformations des Activités Physiques et Sportives (UR 3832), Université de Rouen Normandie, F-76000 Rouen, France

⁵

Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), 151 Bd de l’Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France

⁶

Institut Telecom Paris, CNRS-LTCI, 91120 Palaiseau, France

⁷

Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Brain Dynamics and Cognition Team, INSERM UMRS 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69100 Villeurbanne, France

⁸

Unité Fatigue et Vigilance, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées (IRBA), 91220 Brétigny-sur-Orge, France

⁹

INSA Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CPE Lyon, INL, UMR5270, 69621 Villeurbanne, France

¹⁰

Plateforme Mouvement et handicap, Service de Médecine Physique et Réadaptation, Hôpital Henry Gabrielle, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69230 Saint-Genis-Laval, France

¹¹

Institut Universitaire de France, 75231 Paris, France

¹²

Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Université Paris-Saclay, Univ Evry, 91000 Evry-Courcouronnes, France

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J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(4), 369; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040369

Submission received: 4 September 2025 / Revised: 24 September 2025 / Accepted: 25 September 2025 / Published: 26 September 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing Performance: Training Strategies to Improve Strength, Speed, Power, and Endurance)

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Abstract

Background: Exercise duration at maximum oxygen uptake (

\dot{V ̇}

O₂max) appears to be influenced not only by metabolic factors but also by the interplay between brain dynamics and ventilatory regulation. This study examined how cortical activity, assessed via electroencephalography (EEG), relates to performance and acute fatigue regulation during a constant-load cycling test. We hypothesized that oscillatory activity in the theta, alpha, and beta bands would be associated with ventilatory coordination and endurance capacity. Methods: Thirty trained participants performed a cycling test to exhaustion at 90% maximal aerobic power. EEG and gas exchange were continuously recorded; ratings of perceived exertion were assessed immediately after exhaustion. Results: Beta power was negatively correlated with time spent at

\dot{V ̇}

O₂max (r = −0.542, p = 0.002). Theta and Alpha power alone showed no direct associations with endurance, but EEG–metabolic ratios revealed significant correlations. Specifically, the time to reach

\dot{V ̇}

O₂max correlated with Alpha/

\dot{V ̇}

O₂ (p < 0.001), Alpha/

\dot{V ̇}

CO₂ (p < 0.001), and Beta/

\dot{V ̇}

CO₂ (p = 0.002). The time spent at

\dot{V ̇}

O₂max correlated with Theta/

\dot{V ̇}

O₂ (p = 0.002) and Theta/

\dot{V ̇}

CO₂ (p < 0.001). The time-to-exhaustion was correlated with Theta/

\dot{V ̇}

CO₂ (p < 0.001) and Alpha/

\dot{V ̇}

CO₂ (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These findings indicate that cortical oscillations were associated with different aspects of acute fatigue regulation. Beta activity was associated with fatigue-related neural strain, whereas Theta and Alpha bands, when normalized to metabolic load, were consistent with a role in ventilatory coordination and motor control. EEG–metabolic ratios may provide exploratory indicators of brain–metabolism interplay during high-intensity exercise and could help guide future brain-body interactions in endurance performance.

Keywords: electroencephalography; endurance; \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O₂max; time limit; high-intensity exercise; exhaustion

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MDPI and ACS Style

Poinsard, L.; Berthomier, C.; Clémençon, M.; Brandewinder, M.; Essid, S.; Damon, C.; Rigaud, F.; Bénichoux, A.; Maby, E.; Fornoni, L.; et al. EEG–Metabolic Coupling and Time Limit at \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O₂max During Constant-Load Exercise. J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10, 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040369

AMA Style

Poinsard L, Berthomier C, Clémençon M, Brandewinder M, Essid S, Damon C, Rigaud F, Bénichoux A, Maby E, Fornoni L, et al. EEG–Metabolic Coupling and Time Limit at \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O₂max During Constant-Load Exercise. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. 2025; 10(4):369. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040369

Chicago/Turabian Style

Poinsard, Luc, Christian Berthomier, Michel Clémençon, Marie Brandewinder, Slim Essid, Cécilia Damon, François Rigaud, Alexis Bénichoux, Emmanuel Maby, Lesly Fornoni, and et al. 2025. "EEG–Metabolic Coupling and Time Limit at \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O₂max During Constant-Load Exercise" Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 10, no. 4: 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040369

APA Style

Poinsard, L., Berthomier, C., Clémençon, M., Brandewinder, M., Essid, S., Damon, C., Rigaud, F., Bénichoux, A., Maby, E., Fornoni, L., Bouchet, P., Beers, P. V., Massot, B., Revol, P., Creveaux, T., Collet, C., Mattout, J., Pialoux, V., & Billat, V. (2025). EEG–Metabolic Coupling and Time Limit at \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O₂max During Constant-Load Exercise. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 10(4), 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040369

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EEG–Metabolic Coupling and Time Limit at \({\overset{.}{\text{V}}}\)O₂max During Constant-Load Exercise

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