Cognitive conditioning program
Cognitive conditioning programCairns sports performance clinic
& PNG High performance
Why cognitive conditioning?Sports are getting faster and more
complex with more demands physicallyLapses in concentration can
cost the team or athlete the match, game or fightOverload of
stimulus in the match results in poor execution or poor
decisionsMajority of goals scored towards end of soccer half due to
fatigueHand-eye coordination governed by the brains visual
processing systemSport science is close to pushing limits
physically yet cognitive development still untappedSolid evidence
base after five years of peer review and implementation into sports
areaAlmost complete lack of standardised cognitive training
programs at professional level
What is cognitive conditioning?Any repetitious activity which
engages an athletes attention, working memory, spatial awareness or
reaction time which yields improvements at task and transfers to
sport. Example: 3D multiple object tracking paradigm (3D-MOT);
Neurotracker commerciallyMeasures visual tracking speed (VTS)
threshold of individual athletesRequires: 3D HDTV 50 70 or 3D
projector 100: $500 - $1500 2m2 4m2 space for session 3D capable
laptop or desktop computer: $500 - $1000Neurotracker software
~$10,000Microsoft Kinect: $250
3D-MOT demonstration
Who is cognitive conditioning for?Athletes in action sports:
combat, tactical, invasion, racquet or racingDemand for ability to
process complex patterns in game play and opponent movementsNeed
for accurate spatial judgements in three dimensional space: tennis,
soccer, racingLate in game mental fatigue sets in: last few minutes
of soccer match; final set of squashWhere language barriers exist:
purely cognitive/spatial task so little language requiredFor
judging direct opponent movements: processing opponents body
movementsAthletes on the cusp of selection: sharper senses &
attention required, i.e. 10% increase
What does the research evidence show? Professional athletes
perform better and adapt faster to 3D-MOT compared to
college/semi-elite athletes and non-athletesVTS positively
correlates with stats (assists, steals, assist/turnover ratio) in
NBA sampleIncrease in passing accuracy in semi-elite footballers
after trainingVTS significantly reduced in athletes with history of
mBTI (concussion)Enhances cognitive and brain function in healthy
young adults (attention, working memory, & inhibition. Reduced
alpha/theta waves with increases in beta and gamma)Reductions in
VTS during physical fatigue and while performing dual
tasksEnhancement in most visual skills in Spanish water polo,
taekwondo and tennis athletes
Cairns sports performance clinic - individual case studiesNormal
distribution curves in elite basketballers, mountain bike and rugby
league squads, (n=1)0% reduction in VTS post 2 hour HIIT: 18yo,
male, semi-professional, soccer, (n=70)35% reduction in VTS post-St
Paddies day: 30yo, male, state level, hockey, (n=50)20% 35%
reduction in VTS due to screen size: multiple clients, (n = 50
350)50% 75% reduction in VTS during reactive agility task: multiple
clients, (n = 30 100)50% drop in VTS five days post-MCL injury:
21yo, male, (n = 2)40% improvement points per game; 24yo, female,
semi-pro basketball (n = 35)100% improvement rebounds, points,
assists; 23yo, male, semi-pro basketball (n = 11)200% improvement
points per game; male, 16yo, male, youth basketball (n = 150)
Future & ongoing researchDetection, rehabilitation and
reduction of mTBI harms (concussion)VTS and resistance to
fatigueProgression based systemImpact on dietary habits, stress,
post-match hydrationCorrelation between recovery status and
VTSTraining effects on sport specific statistics, athlete and coach
subjective assessments
