Cognitive training is now a well-researched method of improving a set of skills through targeted exercises. While the substantial research focused on psychological aspects mostly, the athletic community discovered practical advantages of using the Cognitive Training System (CTS). This booming field of practice still undergoes major theoretical studies, but so far – cognitive performance results are stunning.
As it shows, CTS combines the scientific impact and the practical needs of athletes. By focusing on repeating physical exercises, players should not forget about their mental functioning. Therefore, cognition is not important but vital for athletes to stay fit and overcome the obstacles such as unexpected injury, end of the season, etc.
What Are the Available Options
Some of the apps presented on market focus on short training (normally 6 minutes per day) which requires repetition and targeted practice; some of them expand the field of action by adding more VR elements and strategic planning to a usual session.
The 3D component is often introduced to get an athlete closer to a real-life situation: as we are familiar with 3D vision, we will better adjust to the unknown world in terms of a virtual reality. It is a training advantage to stay on track with basic mental functions.
The other thing important for players is to train peripheral vision, and the option is widely accessible amongst the designed apps. Creating a very own virtual environment, the peripheral visual information is being processed rapidly and efficiently.
The last but not least basic function is a so-called “Multiple Object Training” (MOT): presenting plenty of targets at a time. At this point, the brain gets better adjusted to filter out distractions and works harder to follow multiple streams.
The Impact on Online Betting
You may have not realized it yet, but online bookmakers also get adapted to attract their users. While the live show is not a surprise anymore, the VR component is being introduced to a player so that the training session can take an unexpected turn. Of course, it has nothing to do with the real games, but the ability to create a strategic plan is part of successful betting.
Don’t underestimate the Cognitive Training System: it may not be as popular as it should be for now, but it’s very good to try no matter if you are a professional athlete or just starting your career. As said, the mentioned apps are good for players and bettors: the first ones improve their performances, and the bettors get a better show adjusted to technological advancements.
Special Research on Cognitive Training
Cognitive training interventions are commercially available across the globe. The question is do they help to move the ordinary athletes to the group of elite ones? To operate at higher levels, players for sure need not only physical skills but a multitude of mental functions. Therefore, the dilemma of whether to replace cognitive training with more physical exercises should have never appeared in the first place.
Elite athletes differ from all the other ones by their decision-making ability and enhanced perception. Using their mental advantages, elite players can predict the opponent’s movements and re-calculate their future steps. The only disadvantage in this entire great picture is that the Cognitive Training System still needs work and further research. Until recently a very limited amount of research has been conducted on cognitive functions and how they can strengthen an athlete’s field performance.
The Major Benefits
After all the considerations mentioned, cognitive (or a “brain) exercises make athletes stronger and adaptable. It is an adequate measure of building character and personality development. Such traits as resilience and self-discipline need not only a physical but a mental background to achieve a necessary balance.
Scientifically based tools help to improve athletes’ performance by focusing on their cognitive abilities. The popular apps based on a Cognitive Training System include:
· Neurotracker – a program that is especially popular among elite athletes because it tracks the latest scientific achievement and constantly renews the database. The 3D object tracking is the major tool used for testing cognitive functions that are most critical to sports performance. Every session participants have plenty of targets they need to take care of; afterward, an assessment series is conducted to track the movements of designed targets and identify them;
· Cognilit – another app for athletes from different sports to train as if they were in a live show. One may call Cognilit a “fully immersive” program allowing the player to fully embrace the atmosphere of the upcoming game. This is an additional advantage of using VR to improve mental functions: the players indicate all the necessary elements they need to focus on and learn how to filter out the distractions.
So far, more apps for cognitive training still undergo a testing stage. The 3D-MOT-based software brings a real live-show atmosphere to the game making athletes much more adaptable in different situations.
Start Using CTS
If all the mentioned advantages did not convince you, perhaps you should try the Cognitive Training System by yourself. It gets especially popular when traveling is limited and people are encouraged to stay at home. From a different point of view, it is not a replacement for physical training but rather a smart addition.
Coaches and occupational therapists represent the major targeted audience for cognitive apps. They can widely incorporate it into a training routine. Moreover, the athletes would be much more competitive and adaptable if they develop the characteristics of a mentally strong person. In case you didn’t know doing exercises online is possible – welcome to the new world and great possibilities! You’ll enjoy being a part of it!
