Neural dynamics track the approach to physical exhaustion

In 28 trained cyclists during a maximal incremental test, neural dynamics shift toward exhaustion with lower-frequency power, more regular activity, and longer-timescale coupling.

• Why it matters: Cardiorespiratory and metabolic markers describe exhaustion, but how brain activity changes as people near physical limits is not well characterized.
• What they did: High-density EEG was recorded during the incremental test, and participant-specific neural-dynamics models were used to track proximity to exhaustion versus cardiorespiratory measures.
• The result: Neural features tracked exhaustion proximity with accuracy comparable to cardiorespiratory measures, and in the final minutes stayed informative when cardiorespiratory accuracy declined.

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