Both the PVT/PVT-B and PFTT are powerful tools for monitoring mental fatigue, but they serve different purposes depending on the training objective.

Both measure sustained attention and reaction speed, but the structure differs:

The PVT/PVT-B is best used when the priority is tracking mental fatigue. It evaluates how fatigue impacts alertness and reaction time, giving detailed insight into an athlete’s cognitive readiness. This makes it a core tool for assessing focus and responsiveness under mental strain.

When to Use PVT/PVT-B

In the video example below, you can see how challenging the training session was.

📍 At the Start (21:19) – Fresh & Focused

• Reaction Time: 356ms (quick responses).

• Accuracy: 100% (perfect focus).

• Variation: 13% (consistent performance).

• Lapses: 1 (minimal attention errors).

📍 At the End (22:30) – Mentally Fatigued

• Reaction Time: 372ms (slower responses).

• Accuracy: 100% (still perfect, but slowing down).

• Variation: 20% (less consistent reactions).

• Lapses: 4 (more frequent attention errors).

By monitoring PVT/PVT-B results, you can see whether a session pushed the athlete hard enough to create measurable mental fatigue. Ideally, scores should return to baseline before the next session. If pre-session values keep trending upward across the week, it’s a sign the athlete may need more recovery.

The PVT/PVT-B is a quick, effective way to track fatigue. For best results, monitor it consistently over at least a month to establish each athlete’s baseline and adjust training loads with confidence.

The PFTT is best suited for identifying the precise moment an athlete crosses the psychomotor fatigue threshold during physical training. As physical intensity increases, cognitive performance initially improves, reaching a peak where the brain functions at its highest capacity. However, beyond this peak, cognitive functions, such as reaction time, begin to decline, even if the body continues to perform physically. The PFTT helps pinpoint this critical threshold, allowing coaches to optimize training programs. This might involve keeping the athlete within their optimal performance zone or deliberately pushing them beyond it to enhance their cognitive resilience. Research suggests that this threshold is not fixed and can be improved with consistent, targeted training.

When to Use the PFTT

Identify Psychomotor Fatigue Threshold: Use the PFTT to pinpoint the exact moment an athlete crosses the psychomotor fatigue threshold during physical training.

Optimize Training Programs: Best for determining when cognitive performance peaks and begins to decline as physical intensity rises. This allows you to maintain athletes at their optimal level or push them beyond it to enhance cognitive capacity.

In the video below, you can see how the athlete’s performance changed over time during training.

📍 At the Start (10:38) – Strong Performance

• Reaction Time: 331ms (quick).

• Accuracy: 96% (very high).

• Variation: 15% (consistent performance).

• HRV: 100.70 (good).

• The athlete is performing well.

📍 Peak Performance (10:51) – Best Cognitive State

• Reaction Time: 310ms (fastest reaction time).

• Accuracy: 96% (still high).

• Variation: 14% (most stable performance).

• HRV: 104.61 (good).

• This is where the athlete is functioning at their highest capacity.

📍 Crossing the Fatigue Threshold (11:05) – Cognitive Decline Begins

• Reaction Time: 348ms (slower responses).

• Accuracy: 84% (dropped significantly).

• Variation: 22% (less consistent reactions).

• HRV: 67.75 (diminished).

• The athlete has crossed the Psychomotor Fatigue Threshold (PFT), meaning their brain is now struggling to keep up, even though their body can still perform.

Pre-Session Test: Perform a 3-minute/5-minute PVT/PVT-B test before beginning any cognitive, physical, or combined training.

Post-Session Test: Conduct the PVT/PVT-B test again after completing all cognitive, physical, or combined training activities.

Effective Training Load: An increase in reaction time, lapses, and variability after a session suggests the cognitive load was sufficient to induce mental fatigue, provided the athlete can recover fully before the next session.

Performance Maintenance: Minimal or no changes in reaction time, lapse count, or variability indicate that performance levels are being effectively maintained, making it ideal for heavy training schedules aimed at keeping athletes performing at their best.

Training Adjustment: Improved metrics suggest the training load was too low.

Monitor Trends: Look for unusual patterns over the training plan.

Identify Fatigue: Rising pre-session reaction times may indicate growing mental fatigue.

Assess Recovery: If pre-session reaction times return to baseline, the athlete is recovering well.

Adjust Training: If both pre- and post-session reaction times increase over a week, consider adjusting the training load or allowing more recovery time.

Pre-Workout: Conduct an initial PFTT to establish baseline cognitive performance.

During Workout: Administer the PFTT as exercise intensity increases, either at predetermined intervals or between training sets.

Post-Workout: Perform a final PFTT to evaluate overall cognitive fatigue post-workout.

Optimal Performance: Reaction times sharpen as exercise intensity increases, reaching a sweet spot where decisions are quickest and most accurate, unaffected by fatigue or overload.

Threshold Crossing: The point where reaction times decline, even as the body continues to perform physically.

Optimize Training: Reaching the PFT shows the athlete has maximized their cognitive performance at the current training load. Consistent monitoring helps adjust training to gradually raise this threshold, improving both mental and physical performance.

Enhanced Capacity: Quicker reaction times indicate enhanced cognitive capacity, showing the athlete’s ability to maintain sharp decision-making even as physical stress increases.

Crossing the PFT: If an athlete reaches their PFT earlier than expected, adjust the training plan to focus on extending their threshold and improving their overall cognitive resilience.

Track the PFT: Monitor when athletes cross their psychomotor fatigue threshold.

Expanded Capacity: Taking longer to reach the fatigue threshold indicates improved cognitive resilience.

Adjust Intensity: Modify training based on threshold data to maintain optimal cognitive and physical performance.