Professor Ryu Ohata, Research Fellow of the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Professor Hiroshi Imanaga, and others have conducted joint research with Associate Professor Kenji Ogawa of the Graduate School of Letters, Hokkaido University to determine the speed of reaction from the start signal. , I found out that it can be predicted from the brain activity before exercise.By monitoring the preparation status of the brain in real time, an efficient training method is likely to be developed.
Until now, it has been thought that the variability in the response speed to the start signal is caused by neural activity during exercise that occurs at the junction of peripheral nerves and muscles, but in studies using monkeys, brain activity in the exercise preparation stage is the cause. There was a theory that it was one of them.
According to the University of Tokyo, the research group used a magnetoencephalogram that measures human brain activity in milliseconds to find a brain activity pattern that determines the speed of reaction time.Looking at the brain activity of the premotor cortex, which has functions related to exercise preparation, it was possible to predict the variation in reaction time from 0.5 seconds before the start signal was given.
The research group believes that the subsequent exercise results are greatly affected by the state of preparation of the brain, and by making the state of optimal preparation, athletes will be able to perform with less variation, and serious results such as traffic accidents will occur. We hope that it may prevent delays in reactions that could lead to it.
Usain Bolt, the leading track and field sprinter, continues to set superhuman records in the 1-meter dash, but he does not always get off to a good start.Researcher Ohata said, "Professional sprinters practice starting thousands and tens of thousands of times. If we can monitor the preparation of the brain, we can get the best start with fewer exercises." I think.
