Tuning, Not Training, the Brain for Sport

In using neurofeedback with athletes one must consider both the uniqueness of the athlete and the purpose of the training. Our clinical experience suggests that using single hertz frequencies for assessment allows for the fine tuning of the training. For example, rather than training all athletes with alpha (8–12 Hz), you may find that the athlete who typically has high amplitude at 8 Hz needs to be made aware of when the 8 Hz is beneficial during competition but also that it may inhibit intensity and quality of performance during practice. Contrarily, the athlete with typically high amplitude at 12 Hz may be a great ‘practice animal’ but does not perform as well in competition. The ability to identify and change the states needed for different sport purposes is the goal of ‘tuning’ neurofeedback.