Scientific Benefits of Visualization for Athletes

In this video, I explain 8 science based benefits of visualization for athletes. I also explain how some of the best athletes in the world (Conor McGregor, Michael Phelps and Alex Honnold) use visualization to improve sports performance.

Transcript:
Our brains can not tell the difference between an actual physical event and the vivid visualization of that same event. A reason for this is that when we experience something and when we visualize that same thing, we activate similar brain circuits.

Because of this, visualizing desirable outcomes helps boost confidence, motivate ourselves, improve focus, practice movement sequences, increase strength, decrease reaction times, rewire our brains and make epigenetic changes in our bodies. These things along with your training all complement and reinforce each other to improve performance and help you achieve your goals.

In terms of increasing focus and decreasing reaction times, a study of 200 Martial artists found that visualization and self talk reduced reaction times from 0.737 seconds to 0.659 seconds on average, roughly 10%. Although this may not seem like much, this is often the difference between winning or losing. An explanation for how why this happens is rooted in a part of our brain called the Reticular Activating System. The RAS acts as a filter. Out of all the information coming to our senses from the environment, it selects what will be noticed and given attention to by the conscious mind. By practicing visualization, you can prime your RAS to help you notice and focus on important information during your competitions.

In terms of practicing movement sequences, a Harvard study found that research subjects who mentally practiced a simple, five-finger piano exercise for two hours a day for five days made the same brain changes as the subjects who physically practiced the same activities, but without ever lifting a finger.

Remarkably, visualization can also increase strength.
In a study of 30 people over a 12-week period, some regularly exercised their little fingers, while others just imagined doing the same thing. While the group that actually did the physical exercises increased the strength of their little fingers by 53 percent, the group that only imagined doing the same thing also increased the strength of their little fingers—by 35 percent.

In a similar experiment, ten volunteers each imagined flexing one of their biceps as hard as they could five times a week. In a few weeks, they increased their bicep muscle strength by 13.5 percent, and they maintained the gain for three months after the training stopped.

The key takeaway from this video is that there are countless benefits to visualizing, and you would be at a disadvantage if you did not make use of them. In a future video, I will be explaining the specifics of how to visualize like an elite level athlete. Subscribe to the channel to be notified when that video comes out and to receive the best mental strategies for elite performance.

Sources:
Video clips from: The Body Coach, Nike Commercial, UFC, Conor McGregor Notorious film, The North Face, CNBC, Michael Phelp's book and Alex Honnold's book.
Music: No Copyright Sounds on YouTube