RESUMO
PURPOSE: To report the effect of the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) of an individual, a sedentary male subject with complete chronic spinal cord injury at the T11-T12 levels. METHODS: The individual underwent three experimental sessions: control, sham and anodal tDCS. Before, during and after exercise sessions, the following variables were recorded: heart rate variability, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), power and glucose (this one only before and after the exercise). RESULTS: The anodal tDCS provided greater exercise time and power, lower perceived exertion, greater reduction in glucose, and an increase in time to reach the threshold of heart rate variability. CONCLUSIONS: tDCS caused an improvement in the exercise tolerance, probably due to the modulation of the autonomic nervous system and the pain, characterized by reduced RPE.