Detecting Overtraining in Athletes With a Finger Tap Test

Purpose

Identifying fatigue and overtraining symptoms in normal, healthy athletes frequently is done with a variety of measures, many of them invasive. The purpose of this study was to determine if the non-invasive finger tap test detects Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue and overtraining caused by high intensity workouts.

Methods

Fourteen Division III male collegiate sprinters and jumpers (M age = 20.4 years, SD = 1.34; M height = 181.6 cm, SD = 4.8; M weight = 78.8 kg, SD = 9.9) performed the finger tap test prior to daily track practice for two weeks. When in a seated position with the arm resting on a table top, the dominant hand index finger was used to tap as fast as possible for ten seconds on a Lafayette Adult Finger Tapper (Model 32726). During each testing session, the previous day's workout was recorded and athletes provided a one-word descriptor of their perceived physical fatigue level. The level of difficulty of the day's workout was based on a percentage of the athlete's best race time (BRT). A high intensity workout was completed at 90% or greater of the runner's BRT; a medium intensity workout between 70% to 90% of BRT; and a low intensity workout was considered less than 70% of the BRT.

Analysis/Results

A paired samples t test revealed a significant difference at the .05 level between the number of taps athletes performed the day after an easy workout and the day after a hard workout. No significant differences were shown for recorded taps between post-easy workout days or between post-hard workout days.

Conclusions

This study does suggest that CNS fatigue may be affected by workout difficulty and measured by using the non-invasive finger tap test. Further research is needed with an increased number of subjects and testing days.