Northampton Saints Player Jamie Elliott Trains on Peak
When playing any sport, physical ability is what most look to when defining an athlete and their potential. But what many don’t know is that an athlete’s mental capacity is the difference-maker, whether it be vouching for a spot on a team, or winning a match in the dying stages.
British rugby union club, Northampton Saints, have recognized the integral part that peak mental stability plays in their players, and believe that a brain training app engineered by Peak will improve on-field performance and provide quality feedback to training staff. The app will also allow the University of Cambridge to continue their studies on cognition and its link with sports performance.
“Sports performance, especially at the elite level, depends both on outstanding physical and mental ability,” said Saints physio Lee Daggett in a Peak press release, who is leading the study. “This is certainly true in rugby union, when coaches need players to be able to maintain their focus and make correct decisions even after playing 80 minutes of intense action.”
Medical professionals working with the team will benefit from the results delivered by the app.
“The partnership with the University of Cambridge and Peak will give us the wherewithal not just to measure our players’ cognitive abilities, but also to assess the impact of brain training in improving their performance levels and recovery from the head injuries which can sometimes occur in a contact sport,” said Daggett.
Everyone knows that decision-making for elite athletes is a key part of their success, but few realise just how difficult it can be to keep focus at different parts of a match. A point guard in basketball must be able to find the right player at the right time to execute a play; a quarterback needs to be able to assess an entire football field before making a correct decision; and a scrum half needs to know when to run, pass or kick in a rugby match. These moments all require a high level of IQ and focus, which is what Peak’s app aims to promote.
The app consists of 6 daily personal games that stimulate the brain and force it to make quick decisions. The games adapt to the user’s performance levels and set realistic goals to meet each day. The data from the results is collected and rearranged into useful information that trainers and those at the University of Cambridge can study.
Peak’s research scientist, Elias Mouchlianitis, says that he is thrilled by the project with Northampton.
“This is a very promising prospect to see real-world application of brain training, and the outcomes of the research can help further extend our previous findings of the beneficial effects of brain training in other areas of the population.”
This idea is brand new to the elite sporting world – and while it is still in the testing phase – will bring players up to speed on what is expected of them on the field mentally.
Sport all over the world is becoming closer and more competitive, which is why we should all know that it only takes one poor decision or loss of focus that can be the difference between a championship and a season that could have been.
