The brain is central to everything that we do. Optimizing your brain function has the potential to improve how you think, feel, and perform. At Emerald Coast NeuroFeedback (ECNF), we customize the training process to support your goals and help you break barriers. Whatever the field in which you want to maximize performance—sport, academic achievement, a high-demand profession, or any other pursuit—ECNF can work with you to identify areas of focus and train your brain to help you achieve your personal best.
Peak Performance for Athletes
Whether you are a high school, collegiate, or professional athlete, a competitive advantage can be the difference between winning and losing. Athletes spend years mastering their craft through physical training, preparation, and practice. However, the most successful athletes aren't always the biggest, strongest, fastest, or most talented. Often, it's their minds that give them the edge. The ability to consistently reach peak performance can be supported by training your brain to let go of what is not helpful, integrate what is, and ensure that everything is working in harmony.
ECNF can help athletes optimize their mental game through Neurofeedback. This tool is increasingly used in competitive sports, with well-known athletes like Tobias Harris, Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan benefiting from its performance-enhancing capabilities. Neurofeedback can help you achieve that mental edge, enhancing focus, reducing nerves, and improving overall performance.
How Does Neurofeedback Improve Performance for Athletes?
When athletes play a sport, they do not tell their heart to beat faster or their lungs to breathe more air; that is the brain's job. By improving brain function, athletes can enhance their performance and game, regardless of their sport.
Neurofeedback, or EEG biofeedback, has been shown to improve athletic endurance and performance, including speed, agility, and reaction time. Neurofeedback can also help improve focus and concentration while reducing fatigue.
Utilizing Neurofeedback as a natural means of performance enhancement helps the brain create new neural pathways and connect new information to other related information. This builds neural networks, helping the brain store and categorize information, and recall and use it when needed.
When you are stressed, or under too much pressure, your brain can become less flexible and unable to make connections quickly. This can lead to an inability to focus and pay close attention over extended periods. Neurofeedback enables your brain to focus on the present and helps you reorient to the here and now, even after making an error. This helps you stay focused on what you need to do in the moment. When reorienting later, you look at the situation from a new perspective, thinking about what you did well and what you could have done differently or better, but without the chatter of self-judgment.
Neurofeedback works to help your brain unlearn old, ineffective, outdated programming and patterned responses so you can perform at your optimal level. And it allows you to keep updating information and integrating new learning, so that your best is always improving.
Benefits of Neurofeedback for Peak Performance
Improve Sleep
- Fall asleep faster
- Sleep longer
- Wake more rested
- Increase energy levels
Enhance Focus
- Block distractions
- Increase comprehension
- Stay on task
- Be present in the moment
Access Flow State
- Get “in the zone” more often
- Deepen concentration
- Achieve consistently high
Perform Under Pressure
- Reduce anxiety
- Calm nerves
- Enhance confidence
- Excel in any environment
Backed By Science
- Clinically tested
- Evidence-based
- Proven to work
Holistic and Non-invasive
- Non-pharmaceutical
- No risky side effects
- No prescription needed
- Long-lasting results
Integrating Neurofeedback with Traditional Methods
Reaching peak physical performance is typically a matter of physical training; other areas of performance also require appropriate training, similarly involving learning, practice and dedication.
The ultimate workout for the brain combines Neurofeedback with traditional methods like training and practice. Unlike physical performance, however, gains made with a complete course of Neurofeedback are lasting and do not fade over time. Think of Neurofeedback as the foundation in a holistic approach to achieving peak performance, enhancing the other methods you use to train and master your craft.
The Emerald Coast NeuroFeedback Process
Initial Evaluation
Our initial evaluation is a needs assessment that allows our therapist and software system to generate your customized protocol, identifying different symptoms, goals, and growth areas to focus on for improvement during your sessions.
Feedback Sessions
Depending on your protocol(s), you may receive feedback with your eyes closed (auditory only) or with your eyes open (audio and visual). Sensors will be placed on your ears and scalp (this does not hurt, and nothing goes into your brain). The sensors pick up the electrical activity coming from your brainwaves. You may have one, two, or three sensor placement changes during a session. Sessions at ECNF typically take 45 minutes to an hour. This includes assessing symptom improvements since your last session and time to change the sensors as needed for different protocols.
Session Frequency
A commitment of two sessions per week is necessary for the process to be most effective. Double sessions in a day can be an especially effective way to train (depending on the protocol, sessions may be completed back-to-back or with a small break in between). It is essential that you keep your scheduled Neurofeedback appointments. Missing sessions may result in slower progress. It is generally recommended that you receive eight sessions before taking an extended break. If you have anticipated schedule interruptions, such as a vacation, please let us know.
Re-evaluation
The initial protocol we generate is often the best one to accomplish your primary goals. However, it is common to see benefits from more than one protocol. Re-evaluation may be needed to explore new growth areas and determine whether protocol changes are necessary. In general, a re-evaluation is appropriate when there is less than 10% growth in all growth areas, as assessed over the previous five sessions. This often indicates that the client has maximized the benefits of an existing protocol or hit a plateau.
Neurofeedback FAQs
At ECNF, we create a personalized brain training program based on comprehensive data collected during your initial evaluation. We then create a plan designed to address your unique needs and goals. Focusing on the goals that are most important to you, we work with you to create identifiable, quantifiable growth areas; these help us keep track of your progress and make adjustments as needed.
Getting Started with Emerald Coast NeuroFeedback
To get started with Neurofeedback, give us a call or fill out our online contact form. The first step is to understand your goals. We will arrange a time to answer any questions and schedule your initial evaluation.
The initial evaluation involves a set of questions curated to identify factors that are inhibiting best performance. This allows us to create measurable growth areas and design the best training approach for your goals. From here, we collect EEG data to customize your protocol further. We will then see you twice a week for feedback sessions until you reach a plateau.
Because Neurofeedback is true brain learning, the progress made continues long after your final feedback session.
Neurofeedback can leverage your commitment by training your brain toward peak performance. Get in touch with our team today to learn more.