# The Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Improving Performance in Soccer Players—A Scoping Review

## TL;DR

This review examines how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects soccer performance, finding that it can aid recovery and decision-making when used properly.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive synthesis of tDCS applications in soccer players, identifying specific brain targets and conditions for effectiveness.

## Key findings

- Prefrontal tDCS improves post-match recovery and decision efficiency in soccer players.
- Motor cortex tDCS combined with training enhances strength and agility.
- Effects are modest and depend on protocol specifics and individual responses.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is increasingly used by athletes, yet sport-performance-enhancement findings are mixed and often small, with outcomes depending on stimulation target, timing, and task demands. Aim: This scoping review mapped and synthesized the soccer-specific trial evidence to identify (i) which tDCS targets and application schedules have been tested in soccer players, (ii) which soccer-relevant outcomes show the most consistent immediate (minutes–hours) or training-mediated benefits, and (iii) where evidence gaps persist. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of clinical trials in footballers, following review best-practice guidance (PRISMA-informed) and a preregistered protocol. Searches (August 2025) spanned PubMed/MEDLINE, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, and Cochrane, using combinations of “football/soccer” and “tDCS/transcranial direct current stimulation,” with inclusion restricted to trials from 2008–2025. Dual independent screening was applied. Of 47 records identified, 21 studies met the criteria. Across these, the total N was 593 (predominantly male adolescents/young adults; wide range of levels). Results: Prefrontal protocols—most commonly left-dominant dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (+F3/−F4, ~2 mA, ~20 min)—most consistently improved post-match recovery status/well-being (e.g., fatigue, sleep quality, muscle soreness, stress, mood), and when repeated and/or paired with practice, shortened decision times and promoted more efficient visual search. Effects on classic executive tests were inconsistent, and bilateral anodal DLPFC under fatigue increased risk-tolerant choices. Motor-cortex targeting (C3/C4/Cz) rarely changed rapid force–power performance after a single session—e.g., multiple well-controlled trials found no immediate CMJ gains—but when paired with multi-week training (core/lumbar stability, plyometrics, HIIT, sling), it augmented strength, jump height, sprint/agility, aerobic capacity, and task-relevant EMG. Autonomic markers (exercise HR, early HR recovery) showed time-dependent normalization without specific tDCS effects in single-session, randomized designs. In contrast, a season-long applied program that added prefrontal stimulation to standard recovery reported significantly reduced creatine kinase. Across studies, protocols and masking were athlete-friendly and rigorous (~2 mA for ~20 min; robust sham/blinding), with only mild, transient sensations reported and no serious adverse events. Conclusions: In soccer players, tDCS shows a qualified pattern of benefits that follows a specificity model: prefrontal stimulation can support post-match recovery status/well-being and decision efficiency, while M1-centered stimulation is most effective when coupled with structured training to bias neuromuscular adaptation. Effects are generally modest and heterogeneous; practitioners should treat tDCS as an adjunct, not a stand-alone enhancer, and align montage × task × timing while monitoring individual responses.