Peak Performance
What we can improve
Athletes invest a lot of time in their physical preparation. To reach new heights, many use Neurofeedback to train their brain.
Every region of the brain plays a special role in attention, concentration, anxiety, sleep, visual information processing and more. When an athlete consults us to improve their performances, we will first take into account the sport practiced, because the brain networks we train will vary according to the discipline.
For example, a hockey player will need to have fast reaction times and an ability to effectively process visual information. On the other hand, a person who practices golf should be better able to remain calm and focused. We will therefore train different networks in these two athletes.
Increase
concentration
No matter what sport is practiced, the ability to focus well and stay focused is paramount. Neurofeedback is used to train the regions and circuits of the brain that are responsible for attention and concentration. Thus, the athlete will develop a greater ability to be focused.
Decrease anxiety
and enhancing sleep
Some athletes will have a high level of anxiety that will be detrimental, as it will take the athlete over his performance zone. A higher stress level will also cause muscle tension, which will reduce reaction times and movement accuracy. An anxious brain profile will also have the effect of reducing sleep quality and sometimes even cause insomnia. The effect of bad sleep can be catastrophic. It decreases concentration, recovery and reaction times. Neurofeedback training is then used to calm hyperactive regions in the brain and reduce or eliminate anxiety and improve sleep.
Improve
reaction time
When you train the brain using Neurofeedback, it becomes more efficient. In athletes we use the application “Sleep-2-peak” developed by the neurologist Marc Therrien in order to measure the speed at which the brain perceives visual information and commands a physiological reaction. In some athletes we trained in Neurofeeback, we noticed an improvement in reaction times of over 30%. In other words, the athlete had become 30% faster to react!
- Level of concentration accented
- Better ability to recover
- Accelerated reaction time
- Better stress management
- Improved performance
Even if many athletes use Neurofeedback to improve their performances, the majority of them will not publicly disclose it. They do not want to reveal this “secret weapon”. However, among those who unveiled it were Quebec’s Alexandre Bilodeau, a freestyle skiing medalist at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games.
At the Neuroperforma clinic, we trained dozens of national, international and professional athletes in different sports including hockey, football, soccer, figure skating, tennis, boxing, fencing, judo, motorcycle racing and motor racing. Each of them noticed an improvement in their performance, following the training done at our clinic.
Le trouble du déficit de l’attention avec ou sans hyperactivité (TDA/TDAH) est une condition neurodéveloppementale complexe qui toucherait 5 à 8 % des enfants. Il peut être décrit par une panoplie de symptômes liés à des dysfonctions ou à une pauvre maturation des lobes frontaux.
While sports offer numerous benefits, excessive practice can lead to overtraining. This phenomenon is well-known to high-level athletes, but many people still overlook the risks. If you find yourself doing multiple sports sessions and feel like you’re not making progress anymore, overtraining may be looming, and you might need additional assistance.
Overtraining involves an accumulation of physical and psychological fatigue, leading to a decline in sports performance. This symptom can be accompanied by changes in behavior (stress, sleep disorders, anxiety, etc.), as well as joint and muscle pain that can lead to injury. Excessive practice of a sport can also harm the brain, according to some studies.
The phenomenon of excessive training affects all disciplines, but endurance sports like running, cycling, and trail running are the most affected. These physical activities require significant training volumes. While high-level athletes are certainly most affected by overtraining, amateurs are also at risk because they receive less supervision and may neglect their recovery.
- Burnout among athletes also leads to a decrease in sports performance. It resembles severe depression combined with a disgust for practicing sports until its cessation. The effects of burnout are visible on both physical and psychological health. Its symptoms are numerous and manifest as:
- an unexplained drop in sports performance,
- a loss of motivation for training and competition,
- an increased need for sleep, etc.
- Athletes in this state should quickly consult a healthcare professional for assistance.
L’évaluation diagnostic de TDAH
Le diagnostic de TDAH n’est pas simple à poser et il n’y a aucun examen médical qui permet de le faire de manière précise. Le professionnel de la santé, notamment le neuropsychologe, qui pose le diagnostic de TDAH fait une évaluation complète de l’enfant et de son milieu de vie. Ce spécialiste peut s’intéresser à plusieurs éléments :
- le développement de l’enfant depuis sa naissance,
- son comportement à la maison, à l’école et ailleurs,
- ses symptômes (intensité et durée),
- ses difficultés à l’école ou lors de l’exécution des tâches.
Pour pouvoir déterminer si un enfant souffre d’un TDA ou TDAH, le neuropsychologue ou autre professionnel habileté à faire le diagnostic, peut utiliser les critères comportementaux élaborés par l’ouvrage Manuel diagnostique et statistique des troubles mentaux, 5e édition ainsi que des des outils psychométriques. Les tests psychologiques et les tests neuropsychologiques peuvent également aider à poser un diagnostic de TDAH.
À noter : L’électroencéphalogramme permet de préciser les profils d’activité électriques dans le cerveau pouvant apporter des problèmes au niveau des fonctions exécutives (concentration, attention, planification, organisation, impulsivité et agitation mentale ou physique). Toutefois, l’EEGq ne permet en aucun cas de poser le diagnostic de TDA ou de TDAH
Whether you’re a high-level athlete or an amateur, there are several solutions to improve your sports performance. Regular practice of your sport is part of it, without falling into overtraining. The more you repeat movements, the better you will progress. For high-level performance, training for 4 to 5 days a week is sufficient. Sleep, complete rest, and a healthy and balanced diet also help improve athlete performance.
At Neuroperforma, we offer neurofeedback sessions to meet the needs of athletes experiencing performance decline. Neurofeedback protocols can, for example, help athletes regain better coordination, concentration, and improve information processing speed during matches. Several disciplines could benefit from it. Brain training protocols adapt to the individual profile of each client for lasting results.
Motivation and commitment are important factors in the sports performance of high-level athletes. They must also work diligently on their physical qualities, mental aspects, sports technique, and relationships with the surroundings, which can be a source of stress and depression. Performance anxiety is also a serious factor for an athlete. When anxiety exceeds motivation, commitment, and effort, a negative effect is frequently observed on mobilization and overall performance. Reducing excessive anxiety could be considered with neurofeedback.
Nutrition plays an important role in athlete performance. By adopting a diet tailored to their sports goals, athletes can gain muscle mass or improve their physical condition. Good nutrition also provides the energy, strength, and endurance necessary to excel in your favorite sport.
Recovery includes all the means deployed by the athlete to repair their muscles and regain the integrity of their physical skills. This can include activities such as napping, hydration, massage, and cryotherapy. This phase is necessary following physical exertion and allows the athlete to renew all the capacities of their muscles. That’s why recovery is essential when seeking performance. Neurofeedback can help improve your sleep, which will help you recover fully.
It is proven that sleep is a major asset for sports performance. Rest promotes better concentration and faster and more effective muscle recovery. Try to sleep early and familiarize yourself with your sleep cycles. They usually last 90 minutes.
Mental preparation in sports encompasses all forms of thoughts and emotions necessary for physical activity. It speeds up the process of optimizing performance. Another advantage of mental preparation is that it significantly reduces the risk of injury during sports and in daily life.