Sports performance and biofeedback

Biofeedback in sports

The majority of physiological processes in the body are not under our conscious control and directly affect our physical and cognitive performance. We've known for many years that learning to consciously control aspects of our physiology—at will and under pressure—is an important element of being able to perform at a peak level. Working on the mind-body connection is vital to athletic performance.

Biofeedback has become an important part of achieving the highest levels of sports performance, as through the use of these techniques and technologies, athletes of any sport can learn to change and improve their own physiological states and responses to stress. Mind and athletic performance go hand in hand.

Education and training that develops this type of learning is vital in situations that require calmness to accomplish and perform under pressure, as well as better focus, concentration and power delivery when really needed. Biofeedback training also builds confidence as the athlete learns that "harmful" stress can be dissipated and managed, and the knowledge can be used to reach an optimal level of performance.

How can athletes benefit from biofeedback training?

• Control and relieve stress and anxiety

• Decrease or increase in energy and intensity

• Improving focus and concentration

• Facilitate recovery from injury

• Improve performance consistency

Information which can be provided biofeedback to the athlete?

Biofeedback provides access to many important aspects of performance, such as muscle tension, heart rate, breathing rate and more in a way that is fast, precise and meaningful.

The basic premise is that if the learner is given information about one or more of these biological processes, he can learn to regulate them consciously – even when the equipment is not available.

The biofeedback training process has three main elements

• First, physiological information is recorded by sensors placed on different parts of the body

• Second, this information is transformed, processed, amplified and feedback to the trainee in the form of audio-visual images in various environments and games.

• Third, by paying attention to feedback, the learner gradually learns to consciously change and control his physiological behavior.

Alive's hardware, software and sensors provide ideal platforms for using biofeedback training in sport at the highest level. All over the world, both professional teams and amateur sports institutes use biofeedback for their training.

How to use biofeedback in sports?

Here are some common applications of biofeedback in sports

• Heart Rate – Elevated heart rate can increase reaction time, while learning to stabilize your heart rate can increase endurance and cardiovascular efficiency.

• Breathing – Improper breathing can lead to ineffective performance, suffocation and excessive breathing (hyperventilation).

• Muscle tension – excessive muscle tension inhibits the movement speed as well as rhythm, timing and flexibility

• Sweaty palms - indicates emotional reactivity and anxiety

• Control of emotions - with biofeedback you can learn how to improve your ability to control your emotions and "slow down" the busy mind.