Unlocking Peak Performance: The Power of Neurofeedback in Sports

In the ever-evolving world of sports, athletes are constantly seeking ways to gain a competitive edge. From rigorous training regimens to advanced nutrition plans, every detail counts. However, one of the most promising yet often overlooked fields is neurofeedback— a brain-training technique that holds significant potential for enhancing athletic performance. In this blog, we will explore how neurofeedback works, its benefits, and its applications in the realm of sports. 

What is Neurofeedback? 

Neurofeedback, also known as EEG biofeedback, is a technique that uses technology to provide real-time feedback on brain activity. Using sensors placed on the scalp and ears, neurofeedback measures electrical impulses in the brain (brainwaves) and translates this data into visual or auditory signals. Athletes can observe their brain activity and learn to self-regulate it to achieve desired mental states, such as focus, relaxation, or enhanced cognitive function. With consistent practice and commitment to a neurofeedback program, athletes can work to improve their mental states both during and outside of their sport.   

  

How Neurofeedback Can Enhance Athletic Performance 

1. Improved Focus and Concentration 

One of the critical components of peak performance in sports is the ability to maintain focus under pressure. Neurofeedback helps athletes train their brains to achieve optimal focus levels by reinforcing brainwave patterns associated with concentration. This training can lead to improved decision-making and execution during high-stakes moments in competition. 

  

2. Enhanced Mental Resilience 

Sports often demand mental toughness, especially during challenging situations. Neurofeedback can help athletes develop resilience by teaching them to manage stress and anxiety effectively. By learning to control their brain activity, athletes can enter a more relaxed and focused state, which is crucial for peak performance. 

  

3. Better Recovery and Sleep Quality 

Athletes understand the importance of recovery, both physically and mentally. Neurofeedback has been shown to improve sleep quality, which is vital for recovery and overall performance. By training the brain to achieve deeper, more restorative sleep, athletes can enhance their physical and cognitive recovery processes. 

  

4. Increased Self-Awareness 

Neurofeedback fosters greater self-awareness, allowing athletes to understand their mental states better. This self-awareness can lead to improved emotional regulation, helping athletes manage their feelings of frustration, fear, or excitement. By recognizing and adjusting their mental states, athletes can more easily adapt to the sporting environment. 

  

Real-World Applications in Sports 

Many elite athletes and teams have begun to incorporate neurofeedback into their training regimens. For instance, professional sports teams, including those in the NFL, NBA, and NHL, are turning to neurofeedback to optimize their players' mental performance. In 2011 the Vancouver Canucks worked with Len Zaichkowski, sport psychologist, and began using neurofeedback and biofeedback instruments. The technology worked on improving players attention in competitive situations and teaching them how to manage stress.

Notable athletes, across various sports report enhanced focus, confidence, and relaxation after undergoing neurofeedback training. Canadian freestyle skier Alexandre Bilodeau says he was able to ease his tension and increase his focus after 40 sessions of neurofeedback. He went on to win the gold medal in moguls at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The number of Olympic athletes turning to neurofeedback to improve their performance is growing each year.

It is important to note that neurofeedback is not limited to professional athletes. Amateur and recreational athletes can also benefit from this training, using it to refine their mental game and improve their overall performance. 

Conclusion 

As sports science continues to advance, neurofeedback presents a fascinating opportunity for athletes of all levels. By harnessing the power of their own brains, athletes can unlock new levels of performance, enhance their mental resilience, and achieve their goals. Whether you're a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, integrating neurofeedback into your training could be the key to reaching your peak performance. As the field continues to grow, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of this technology in the world of sports. 

  

Final Thoughts 

If you're interested in exploring neurofeedback, contact the ADD Centre for more information or to book your initial assessment. With the right guidance, you can start your journey toward unlocking the full potential of your mind and body, paving the way for peak performance in your athletic endeavors. 

 

ADD Centre and Biofeedback Institute of Toronto 

Phone: 905-803-8066 

Email: addcentre@gmail.com

NEUROFEEDBACK TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

As a student, you may have heard of various techniques to improve your academic performance, such as studying regularly, getting enough sleep, and eating a healthy diet. However, have you ever considered neurofeedback as a way to enhance your cognitive abilities?

Neurofeedback is a non-invasive brain training technique that uses real-time feedback to help individuals learn how to regulate their brainwaves. It involves placing sensors on the scalp to measure brain activity and displaying the information on a computer screen. The individual then receives feedback in the form of visual or auditory cues, which they can use to modify their brain activity.

So, how can neurofeedback benefit students? Here are some potential advantages:

1. Improved focus and attention: Neurofeedback can help students improve their ability to concentrate and stay focused on tasks. By training the brain to produce more of the brainwaves associated with attention, such as beta waves, and inhibit brainwave patterns associated with tuning out and daydreaming, students may find it easier to stay on task and avoid distractions.

2. Reduced anxiety and stress: Many students experience anxiety and stress related to academic performance, exams, and deadlines. Neurofeedback can help reduce these feelings by training the brain to produce more of the brainwaves associated with relaxation, such as alpha and sensorimotor rhythm. Learning to reduce hibeta brainwave activity helps with reducing rumination and worry. 

3. Better sleep: Adequate sleep is crucial for academic success, but many students struggle with sleep issues such as insomnia or poor sleep quality. Neurofeedback can help improve sleep by training the brain to produce less hibeta activity (brainwaves associated with anxiety that prevent falling asleep) and increase sensorimotor rhythm, which helps with feeling calm and improves sleep quality. 

While neurofeedback is a promising technique, it's important to note that it's not a magic solution. It requires consistent practice (similar to going to the gym for your brain) and may not work for everyone. After enough brain exercise (usually 40 sessions) the changes are lasting. Additionally, it's important to seek out a qualified practitioner who can guide you through the process.

In conclusion, neurofeedback is a potential tool for students looking to enhance their cognitive abilities and academic performance. By training the brain to produce specific brainwaves, students may experience improved focus, reduced anxiety, enhanced memory and learning, and better sleep. If you're interested in trying neurofeedback, feel free to contact the ADD CENTRE to explore our customized training programs based on EEG Assessment. email: addcentre@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Breathing to Improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV) training.

At the ADD Centre / Biofeedback Institute of Toronto clients do HRV training because it is an important component of self-regulation skills, especially self-regulation of emotions. You can quickly calm yourself with the right breathing technique. Your heart is not a metronome with the same time between heart beats. Variations in heart rate – called the beat-to-beat interval - are healthy; in fact, the larger the variations, the better. Athletes and younger people have higher heart rate variability (HRV) than less fit and older people.   

 

a.     The easiest way to increase your HRV and have higher, healthy variations in heart rate, is by pacing your breathing to match your changes in heart rate. Heart rate increases as you inhale and decreases as you exhale. For most folks, higher HRV is achieved by doing diaphragmatic breathing at approximately 6 breaths per minute. Each person has their own resonant frequency (the breathing rate that achieves the highest variability in heart rate) and that is the breathing rate they should use when practicing to increase HRV. Your resonant frequency will be explored in your early sessions at the ADD Centre.

 

                                              i.     Women and/or shorter people (including children) usually have a higher resonant frequency, and thus a slightly faster breathing rate, which could be as high as 8 breaths per minute. Tall people and/or large men will typically breathe at a lower rate, sometimes as low as 4.5 breaths per minute.

                                            ii.     Most people find that around 6 (5.5 to 6.5) breaths per minute gives them synchrony between breathing rate and heart rate changes.

                                          iii.     You will find the best rate to achieve synchrony between your breathing and your heart rate changes while practicing with HRV feedback and your trainer’s coaching during sessions at the centre. You can watch the screen and get the red mountains (heart rate increases and then decreases) in sync with the blue mountains (inhalation and exhalation).

                                           iv.     You can practice at home, with longer periods of time (10 or even 20 minutes) or practice for short times frequently during the day. Just breathe diaphragmatically at a steady rate with a longer expiration than inspiration. Counting to 4 while letting the air in and then counting 5 to 10 while exhaling works well: 4 in and 6 out is a good ratio for calming. Inhalation is associated with activation (sympathetic nervous system) and exhalation is associated with calming (parasympathetic nervous system).  Attach this breathing practice to routines so that it is done frequently, such as when you first awaken and before you get out of bed, finishing a meal, driving (a red light lasts 30 seconds, so you can do 3 breaths), and so on. This is an example of the attach-a-habit-to-a-habit strategy you will learn in training. You are attaching the new habit of effortless diaphragmatic breathing to an existing habit/regular routine.

                                             v.     Completely relax your neck and shoulders and put your hand over your diaphragm (just above your waist) and feel it moving in and out. With your shoulders completely relaxed breathe in and feel your diaphragm moving out (belly rising) while you count 1, 2, 3, pause as you say 4, then let your air out slowly while you count 5, 6, 7, 8, and with all your air out pause while you count 9, 10. Repeat this breathing and counting.

                                           vi.     At home you can lie on your back and put a book or pillow on your tummy to follow your own inhale and exhale.

 

 

b.    If you want to practice with a pacer, download a free trial of E-Z-Air from the Biofeedback Federation of Europe (www.bfe.org)

 

c.     If you wish you can watch how the changes in your breathing affect your heart rate with an ‘app’ on your iPhone that monitors your pulse. Some examples are:

                                              i.     ISync beat and Camera HRV– these apps are available for iphone and they allow you to track your SDNN. SDNN (standard deviation of the beat-to-beat interval) is a measure of heart rate change or heart rate variability. A higher number (>50 msec.) is better. Athletes may have an SDNN >100 but after a concussion it might drop as low as the 30 – 50 msec. range.   

                                            ii.     HRV4

                                          iii.     My calm beat (breathing pacer)

                                           iv.     Breathe 2 Relax (pacer with music)

                                             v.     and many, many more if you google search for HRV apps.

 

More exact measures can be obtained with Em-wave (from Heart Math) or Thought Technology’s eVu TPs Package that measures not just HRV but also skin conductance (for arousal level) and finger temperature (for relaxation).

 

More information about the power of HRV training is available in Dr. Leah Lagos best-selling book, Heart Breath Mind, or watch a You Tube video featuring Dr. Lagos, a Psychologist and HRV specialist who practices in New York. 

 

 

©ADD CENTRES LTD 2022

Brain Training at the ADD Centre

 

Completing the ADD Centre Brain Training Program results in:

Sharper Focus

Improved Attention

Improved Stress Management

Reduced Anxiety

Increased Calm

Better Self-Regulation Skills

 

Brain Training, also called Neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback, uses your brain’s ability to learn and adapt to improve brain function. This exercise for the brain uses a computer to give immediate feedback of your mental state and it results in positive changes due to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change with new learning. 

To achieve improved brain performance small sensors are placed on the top of the head and on each ear.  These electrodes measure brainwave activity and relay the information back through a computer.  The client knows instantly if they are “in the zone”, showing a healthy brainwave pattern associated with calm focus. A trainer sits with them as a coach, providing strategies that promote staying in the zone. Eventually they learn to produce that mental state of calm focus in everyday life and become more effective at school or work, in social interactions and in sports.   

When the brainwave patterns shift into a CALM, FOCUSED, RELAXED state, then the computer feedback facilitates maintaining that state, and the brain begins to learn.

Here is a sample feedback screen, the BOWLING SCREEN:

When the client feels calm, focused and mentally relaxed the bowling ball moves down the alley and gets a strike! 

Here is another example: SAILBOAT RACE SCREEN:

The AIM is to get the Green Boat to win! This is done without using a keyboard or mouse – only your brain!

 

The Green boat will move ahead only when the client is calm, focused and mentally relaxed.  The Green boat is competing against Inattention/Daydreaming (yellow boat) and anxiety and worry (pink boat).  The client can use their breathing and heart rate at the bottom to help them win the race.  Learning to achieve greater heart rate variability (breathing and heart rate in sync) improves stress management and helps increase calm, alert brainwave patterns.

Self-regulation skills are better predictors of success in life than intelligence. Neurofeedback is a well-researched method that improves self-regulation of attention and emotions. Better self-regulation skills lead to improved performance in athletics, studying and employment.  

 

ADD Centre Concussion Intervention

 

ADD Centre Concussion Intervention

Medical specialists diagnose concussion but often have little to offer in the way of interventions to the approximately 30% of people who do not make a full recovery. Medical imaging using MRI and CT scans are helpful for detecting structural problems, like a brain bleed or skull fracture, that require medical intervention. They do not detect concussion, so a normal scan does not rule out a concussion. Concussions cause functional problems due to disrupted communication between different areas of the brain, referred to as diffuse axonal injury (DAI). DAI involves  the stretching and twisting of the axonal connections. It causes disruption of communication of electrical signals from one neuron to another. Gradual return to work and play after concussion meets the conservative criteria of “do no harm” but does not offer guidance when symptoms involving memory, attention, headaches, light and sound sensitivities and mood swings/irritability cause daily frustration months after the traumatic brain injury.

 At the ADD Centre there is hope for functional recovery for those with postconcussion syndrome because we offer active intervention – brain exercise and heart rate variability training – based on a comprehensive assessment. Assessment measures include the following:

19 Channel QEEG and Evoked Potentials (ERP). This type of assessment can reveal the effects of damage elicited by stretching and twisting of axons, called diffuse axonal injury (DAI). The evoked potentials are particularly important for reflecting brain speed. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) will often have a negative impact on the right and/or left insula which, in turn, relates to changes in heart rate variability. At the ADD Centre we use Evoke Neuroscience and Neuroguide to analyze brainwave patterns (EEG). Then we know how to train for healthier patterns.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the changes in heart rate. The higher the variability, the healthier the cardiac pumping system. After a concussion, HRV is often reduced.  Training to increase heart rate variability is helpful for stress management and, additionally, to improve cognitive function.

Continuous Performance Tests measure attention, impulse control, variability of response time (drifting attention), and response time (speed of response). Doing these tests as a baseline and then again after a series of training sessions provides an objective measure of improvement. 

Neurocognitive Testing – CNS Vital Signs Neurocognitive Testing is used at the ADD Centre. It is done on-line and includes tests of visual and verbal memory, simple and complex attention, executive function, social acuity, processing speed and reaction time.

 Balance Testing – Meditech Balance Board and accompanying software, a system developed in Germany, is used at the ADD Centre to assess balance and risk of tumbling before and after training.

Clinical Interview – A clinical interview that includes an explanation of the findings and discussion of a treatment plan is completed with a professional registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario. 

 Following Assessment, a individualized training program is created. Components may include any of the following modalities: single channel neurofeedback training, heart rate variability training, LORETA neurofeedback training, balance training. 

 Comprehensive testing is completed before and after training to gauge progress.  Here is an example Before and After brain maps showing decreased over-activation (red and orange areas) following an ADD Centre training program for Concussion. Note that every concussion is different: some people will show area of under activation.  

Before Training:                                                                 After Training:

 

 

 

ADHD: HUNTERS in a Farmer’s World Michael Thompson & Lynda Thompson

 

ADHD: HUNTERS in a Farmer’s World

Michael Thompson & Lynda Thompson

(Based on writings of Thom Hartmann)

Unlike farmers, who carry out boring, daily chores, hunters show a

Dichotomy of-Focus. Attention is either Intense OR Superficial

Trait as it appears in ADHD	Hunter’s View
Attention span seems short, but they can become intensely focused for long periods of time when interested in something.	Constantly monitoring their surroundings, scanning for something to go after, or for danger. Intense concentration when   after something.
Disorganized and impulsive - make snap decisions.	Spontaneous and go after opportunities. Able to throw themselves into the chase on a moment’s notice. Fast decisions.
Distorted sense of time. Unaware of how long it will take to do something.	Flexible, able and ready to change strategy quickly. Time is less important than achieving your goal.
Impatient	Tireless, capable of sustained drive, but only when hot on the trail of some important goal.
Does not convert words into concepts adeptly and vice versa - may dislike reading and, especially, writing because it takes too long. Hate to revise what they write. Write the minimum.	Visually oriented. Concrete thinker – clearly seeing tangible goal even if there are no words for it.
Has difficulty following directions	Independent.
Daydreamer	Bored by mundane tasks and talk – drifts off BUT enjoys the hunt. Seeks  excitement and often calm in a crisis.
Lacking social graces	No time for social ‘niceties’. Says what he thinks.
Acts without considering the consequences	Willing and able to take risks and face the danger.