Effects of Various Cognitive Video Stimulations on the Measured Stamina of Runners

This study assessed whether cognitive stimulations could improve running performance. Nine trained men (22.6 +/- 2.1 years old) performed four tests of stamina i) a control test (CT) at 100% of maximal aerobic velocity without any specific attention instructions, ii) a video self modeling test filmed from behind (VB), where runners attended to a video-loop of themselves, iii) a video self modeling test filmed from the front (VF), and iv) a video of landscapes (VL) with music. The results revealed a significant increase (p =.004) of stamina in all video conditions: VB (235 +/- 59 s); VF (229 +/- 53 s); VL (242 +/- 57 s), compared with CT (182 +/- 33 s). The results showed that the oxygen consumption was significantly lower (p =.02) in VB. Two distinct processes could explain these results including the active role of mirror neurons and the influence of music.