FIGURE 4.

A multidisciplinary transactional model of fatigue and performance. The three key components of fatigue occurrence on the one hand, and performance maintenance on the other hand are the perception of effort; the propensity to exercise effort, which is depicted as the decisional balance; and the potential motivation. Perception of effort is the central component, since it is the one that will generate the subjective feeling of fatigue, which to date is still the most valid way to define the occurrence of fatigue, be it mental or physical. The model is multidisciplinary, as it is valid for all aspects of fatigue, in all types of populations (i.e., clinical or related to supra-normal performance such as elite athletes). It is transactional for it emphasizes the perception of effort as a balance between resources and demands, allowing for situational variations. And it takes into account the regulatory models of performance, by integrating a feedback loop related to the evaluation of performance, which is categorized as an environmental input, for it will depend not only on one’s own perception, but also on the external references (i.e., how I perform compared to others).