Our interview:
How does the structure of the brain impact an athlete’s ability to be good at playing a sport?
Well, this is a complicated question. I would say that it depends on the sport. There are structural changes that can occur and improve performance as it relates mainly to motor control. So, for example, enhanced structure or connectivity in motor areas can improve things like hand-eye coordination.
Is the brain structure and mental ability incorporated in training athletes to improve in their sport?
There is some evidence that brain training in sport specific methods can improve performance. There are techniques that people have tried, especially as it relates to improving reaction times and processing speed.
How is the structure of the brain responsible for an athlete’s competitive mindset or physical abilities?
I don't have a good answer for this one. What I can say, from our research, is that highly competitive endurance athletes (like cross country runners) appear to have brains with stronger connections between areas responsible for things like planning and attention (what we call executive functions). These strengthen connections may reflect increased reliance on these cognitive functions during running.
What we learned:
What we learned, was that there is no straight answer to whether or not the structure of the brain can be changed or not. Also, we know from our interview, that people have a higher intensity rate in their sport that have executive functions which makes them more persistent in their sport.
How does the structure of the brain impact an athlete’s ability to be good at playing a sport?
Well, this is a complicated question. I would say that it depends on the sport. There are structural changes that can occur and improve performance as it relates mainly to motor control. So, for example, enhanced structure or connectivity in motor areas can improve things like hand-eye coordination.
Is the brain structure and mental ability incorporated in training athletes to improve in their sport?
There is some evidence that brain training in sport specific methods can improve performance. There are techniques that people have tried, especially as it relates to improving reaction times and processing speed.
How is the structure of the brain responsible for an athlete’s competitive mindset or physical abilities?
I don't have a good answer for this one. What I can say, from our research, is that highly competitive endurance athletes (like cross country runners) appear to have brains with stronger connections between areas responsible for things like planning and attention (what we call executive functions). These strengthen connections may reflect increased reliance on these cognitive functions during running.
What we learned:
What we learned, was that there is no straight answer to whether or not the structure of the brain can be changed or not. Also, we know from our interview, that people have a higher intensity rate in their sport that have executive functions which makes them more persistent in their sport.