{"id":11089,"date":"2024-05-16T06:58:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-16T10:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=11089"},"modified":"2026-01-29T11:28:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:28:43","slug":"using-neuroscience-to-improve-athlete-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/using-neuroscience-to-improve-athlete-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Neuroscience to\u00a0Improve\u00a0Athlete Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/improve-athlete-performance.jpg\" alt=\"Using Neuroscience to\u00a0Improve\u00a0Athlete Performance\" class=\"wp-image-11092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/improve-athlete-performance.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/improve-athlete-performance-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_your_Athletes_Performance\"><\/span>Improve your Athletes Performance <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/using-neuroscience-to-improve-athlete-performance\/#Improve_your_Athletes_Performance\" >Improve your Athletes Performance<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/using-neuroscience-to-improve-athlete-performance\/#The_Mind_and_How_it_Helps_Your_Performance\" >The Mind and How it Helps Your Performance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/using-neuroscience-to-improve-athlete-performance\/#Related_Youth_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Youth Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/using-neuroscience-to-improve-athlete-performance\/#10-Minute_Pre-Game_Prep_Digital_Download\" >10-Minute Pre-Game Prep (Digital Download)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Athletes are quick to focus on optimizing their physical <strong>performance <\/strong>but rarely concentrate on how they can improve their <strong>brain function<\/strong> in ways that will make them think and react faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s possible to measure certain aspects of brain function and tune up the brain, according to neuroscientist Dr. Ryan D\u2019Arcy, a sports dad, professor and president of NeuroCatch, a medical device startup that evaluates cognitive function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe recently tested a college football athlete and then actually used a really available technology where you put red light therapy in a&nbsp;helmet,\u201d he said. \u201cYou just do this for 10&nbsp;minutes to activate the&nbsp;brain&#8217;s &nbsp;electrical &nbsp;activity, and then we retested &nbsp;it and &nbsp;their &nbsp;cognitive &nbsp;processing was 70 milliseconds faster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether one experience with red light therapy will lead to long-term changes, but it can help in the short term, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can create an opportunity for a <strong>young athlete to play better and score more<\/strong>, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And of course, speeding up the brain can boost kids\u2019 confidence in sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Mind_and_How_it_Helps_Your_Performance\"><\/span>The Mind and How it Helps Your Performance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tuning up brain function can also help athletes avoid concussions because they will see potential hits and checks early and take action. This can help alleviate fears about concussions,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Testing and improving brain function is similar to testing and boosting heart function, D\u2019Arcy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou can just put sensors on and measure the brain&#8217;s electrical activity. And from that, you get a measure in milliseconds, how fast the brain is processing information. So then it becomes a simple practice of actually speeding it up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to red light therapy, treatment might include taking supplements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>D\u2019Arcy offers these tips for sports parents:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure athletes are eating and sleeping well.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Help ensure kids get enough exercise routinely.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treat concussions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manage exposure to hits to the head. This can involve taking supplements.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support young athletes\u2019 interest in certain sports, rather than trying to decide which sports they should pursue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Youth_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Youth Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-sports-kids-mental-game-affects-college-recruitment\/\"><strong>How Sports Kids\u2019 Mental Game Affects College Recruitment<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/with-the-right-mental-game-diabetic-pro-basketball-player-thrives\/\"><strong>Strong Mental Game Helps Pro Basketball Player Thrive<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-explain-mental-training-to-teens\/\"><strong>How to Explain Mental Training to Teens<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-2af4b66a-7a25-46fc-b627-e07fc2853075\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10-Minute_Pre-Game_Prep_Digital_Download\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/10-minute-pregame-prep-digital\" title=\"10-Minute Pre-Game Prep (Digital Download)\">10-Minute Pre-Game Prep (Digital Download)<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\" id=\"block-59efff1d-7aae-4218-86ef-46a87932eb50\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/pregame-prep-small.jpg\" alt=\"Pregame Mental Preparation for Young Athletes\" class=\"wp-image-11162\" style=\"width:170px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>&#8220;<strong>10-Minute Pregame Prep<\/strong>&#8221; teaches young athletes how to manage the expectations they feel, cope with pregame pressure, and take charge of their confidence before a game or competition\u2013in just 10 minutes a day! 8 ten-minute audio lessons included and 8 parent manuals on each lesson. Our most popular program for young athletes and their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your kids learn many sport-specific examples of things kids should be concentrating on\u2014the thoughts, feelings, cues, or images to focus their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The audio guides young athletes through eight short lessons that will help them boost their pregame mental preparation and success in sports. Your kids listen to the audio and then complete the exercises for each of the eight lessons.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-cf38b6a7\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons has-custom-font-size has-medium-font-size is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-499968f5 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-25\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" style=\"border-radius:9px;font-size:18px\">DETAILS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-25\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/products\/10-minute-pregame-prep-digital\" style=\"border-radius:9px;font-size:18px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">BUY NOW<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Improve your Athletes Performance Athletes are quick to focus on optimizing their physical performance but rarely concentrate on how they can improve their brain function in ways that will make them think and react faster. But it\u2019s possible to measure certain aspects of brain function and tune up the brain, &#8230; <a title=\"Using Neuroscience to\u00a0Improve\u00a0Athlete Performance\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/using-neuroscience-to-improve-athlete-performance\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Using Neuroscience to\u00a0Improve\u00a0Athlete Performance\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11091,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[309,39,118],"class_list":["post-11089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-confidence-in-youth-sports","tag-kids-sports-psychology","tag-mental-game"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11089"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11089\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13065,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11089\/revisions\/13065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}