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Alphabeats says it can train athletes' brains to optimize their performance - here's how
Last weekend the annual Masters golf tournament took place and while professional golf is clearly physically challenging, making it into the top tier also requires mastering your mental state. Athlete mental health has become a hot topic over the past few years and Alphabeats just announced a product that it says uses music and neurofeedback to train the mind.
The Alphabeats technology, paired with a BrainBit headband, offers mental training sessions that aim to help you reach your peak performance level.
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Through the use of EEG (electroencephalography) we know that there are five brain states; gamma, beta, alpha, theta, and delta.
The alpha state is linked with being relaxed and requiring passive attention. In terms of athletic training, it is the state our brain should be in for flow and full recovery. Alphabeats pairs EEG science with its smartphone application to guide you through personalized training while the connected headband measures your brain activity through sensors.
You do not wear the headband during training sessions; instead, you treat the Alphabeats sessions as a distinct training activity.
The Dutch archery team is currently using Alphabeats to prepare for the upcoming Olympics since accurate archery is heavily dependent on remaining focused and calm. The effects of this training effort are being studied and analyzed.
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Several studies have been conducted since 2012 that show the Alphabeats system combined with music can increase alpha levels from 3% to as high as 33%. A 2023 study of soccer teams is being analyzed now, but preliminary results show higher alpha levels after Alphabeats training sessions.
Prior to talking with Alphabeats representatives, I assumed the music associated with the training would be only white noise or typical meditation music, but the company has partnered with Feed.fm to provide a curated selection of popular music from various genres so that you can select your favorite music to train your brain. Games and visuals are provided in the app as music plays and the headband measures your brainwave activity.
The BrainBit headband neuro sensor and Alphabeats system is currently available for pre-order until May 19th for $499. After this pre-order period, the price will be $689. The system includes 12 months of unlimited access to Alphabeats which is priced at $15.99 per month after this initial period. The Alphabeats app is available for iOS and Android.