Effects of Cerebellar tACS With Gamma Band on Basketball Shooting Skills: A Single-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial in College Students With Basketball Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a widely used noninvasive brain stimulation method to improve motor performance. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), which modulates oscillatory brain activity, has been extensively investigated as a tES method to enhance motor skills. However, few studies have investigated the effects of tACS on sports performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cerebellar tACS on basketball shooting skills in college students with basketball experience. This study was conducted as a single-blind, randomized controlled trial. METHODS: A total of 36 healthy young women (average age: 20.2 years) who were with former basketball players were included in the study. tACS (1.0 mA, 70 Hz) was administered for 15 min with 25 cm2 electrodes placed on the scalp over the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres. The stimulus frequency was selected based on prior findings showing effectiveness in gamma-band modulation. Shooting skills were assessed with a two-handed free throw shooting task. Shooting skills were scored on a 6-point scale per shot, and 30 shots (10 shots × 3 sets) were taken before and after the tACS intervention. This task has been validated as a reliable measure of shooting accuracy in previous studies. RESULTS: Shooting scores significantly increased after stimulation in the tACS group (Median [IQR]: 34.8 [27.3-37.9]-37.0 [30-40.1], p = 0.028, r_rb = -0.661); however, no significant differences in shooting scores were detected before and after stimulation in the sham group (33 [29.9-36.9]-32 [25.4-36.9], p = 0.310, r_rb = 0.404). There was no significant change in shooting success rates before and after the intervention in either group (tACS group: 62.5 [38.8-75]-65 [43.8-76.3], p = 0.751, r_rb = -0.258, sham group: 57.5 [45-76.3]-55 [26.3-67.5], p = 0.810, r_rb = 0.235). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that 70 Hz tACS over the cerebellum may improve basketball shooting skills. These results provide valuable insights into the practical application of tACS in sports. l The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cerebellar tACS on basketball shooting skills. l A total of 36 healthy young women with basketball experience received cerebellar tACS (1.0 mA, 70 Hz) for 15 min. l Shooting scores significantly increased after cerebellar tACS intervention.