Dr Luca Angius

My research activity focuses on the cardiovascular and neurophysiological response during physical exercise. More precisely I investigated the impact of various diseases on group III/IV muscle afferents activity and how these diseases contribute to abnormalities of the cardiovascular response during exercise. Furthermore, I performed a series of experiment to study role of group III/IV muscle afferents in the development of central fatigue.

Recently, my research mainly focuses on the application of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to study how the central nervous system is involved in exercise regulation and in the development of exercise induced fatigue.

The main goal of my research is to understand the neurophysiological and psychological mechanisms causing fatigue during physical exercise and how this knowledge can be applied to improve the life quality of healthy adults and populations affected by cardiovascular and neurological disorders.

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Reticulospinal function can be measured in the tibialis anterior using the StartReact method, Hayman, O., Atkinson, E., Ansdell, P., Angius, L., Thomas, K., Howatson, G., Kidgell, D., Skarabot, J., Goodall, S. 4 Apr 2025, In: Advanced Exercise and Health Science
• Anodal tDCS improves neuromuscular adaptations to short-term resistance training of the knee extensors in healthy individuals, Angius, L., Ansdell, P., Škarabot, J., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., Cowper, G., Santarnecchi, E., Kidgell, D., Howatson, G. 1 Dec 2024, In: Journal of Neurophysiology
• Can transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the motor cortex increase endurance running performance? A randomized crossover-controlled trial, Martens , G., Hody , S., Bornheim , S., Angius, L., De Beaumont, L., Fregni , F., Ruffini , G., Kaux , J., Thibaut , A., Bury, T. 5 Dec 2024, In: PLoS One
• Changes in motor unit behaviour across repeated bouts of eccentric exercise, Hayman, O., Ansdell, P., Angius, L., Thomas, K., Horsbrough, L., Howatson, G., Kidgell, D., Škarabot, J., Goodall, S. 1 Nov 2024, In: Experimental Physiology
• Reduced rate of force development under fatigued conditions is associated to the decline in force complexity in adult males, D’Emanuele, S., Boccia, G., Angius, L., Hayman, O., Goodall, S., Schena, F., Tarperi, C. 1 Dec 2024, In: European Journal of Applied Physiology
• Supraspinal, spinal, and motor unit adjustments to fatiguing isometric contractions of the knee extensors at low and high submaximal intensities in males, Angius, L., Del Vecchio, A., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., Ansdell, P., Atkinson, E., Farina, D., Howatson, G. 14 Jun 2024, In: Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
• Critical considerations on tDCS-mediated changes in corticospinal response to fatiguing exercise, Angius, L. 1 Feb 2023, In: The Journal of Physiology
• Ischemic preconditioning of the muscle reduces the metaboreflex response of the knee extensors, Angius, L., Pageaux, B., Crisafulli, A., Hopker, J., Marcora , S. 1 Jan 2022, In: European Journal of Applied Physiology
• Physical and mental fatigue reduce psychomotor vigilance in professional football players, Angius, L., Merlini, M., Hopker, J., Bianchi, M., Fois, F., Piras, F., Cugia, P., Russell, J., Marcora, S. 1 Sep 2022, In: International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance