Table 1 Search strategies and number of hits for the PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, PsycINFO and SPORTDiscus databases

PubMed

Ovid

((((((((("mental fatigue") OR ("central fatigue")) OR ("cognitive fatigue")) OR ("cognitive exertion")) OR ("mental exertion")) OR ("mental strain")) OR ("cognitive strain")) OR ("ego depletion")) OR ("mental fatigue"[MeSH Terms])) AND ((((((((((((((performance) OR (skills)) OR (speed)) OR (accuracy)) OR (physical)) OR (endurance)) OR (exercise)) OR (sport)) OR (psychomotor)) OR (neuromuscular)) OR (muscle)) OR (isometric)) OR ("psychomotor performance"[MeSH Terms])) OR ("athletic performance"[MeSH Terms]))

3400

Web of Science

/

TS = ((performance OR skills OR speed OR accuracy OR physical OR endurance OR exercise OR sport OR psychomotor OR neuromuscular OR muscle OR isometric) AND ("mental strain" OR "cognitive strain" OR "mental fatigue" OR "central fatigue" OR "cognitive fatigue" OR "cognitive exertion" OR "mental exertion" OR "ego depletion" OR “self-control strength depletion”))

4240

PsycINFO

Ovid

(performance OR skills OR speed OR accuracy OR physical OR endurance OR exercise OR sport OR psychomotor OR neuromuscular OR muscle OR isometric) AND ("mental fatigue" OR "central fatigue" OR "cognitive fatigue" OR "central fatigue" OR "cognitive exertion" OR "mental exertion" OR "mental strain" OR "cognitive strain" OR "self-control strength depletion" OR "ego depletion")

1681

SPORTDiscus

EBSCOhost

( performance OR skills OR speed OR accuracy OR physical OR endurance OR exercise OR sport OR psychomotor OR neuromuscular OR muscle OR isometric) AND ( "mental fatigue" OR "central fatigue" OR "cognitive fatigue" OR "cognitive exertion" OR "mental exertion" OR "mental strain" OR "self-control strength depletion" OR "ego depletion")

1020