Almost all the news that reaches us about the imminent Rio Games is negative: the Zika virus, the botch in the Olympic village, the warnings about the contamination of the waters where numerous tests will be held …
But perhaps they will be remembered in the future for more positive things, such as the growing role of technology in the training of elite athletes, especially if the athletes who have used in their preparation Halo Sport, a device that sends pulses of energy to the motor cortex (the area that plans, controls and executes our movements) and improves the brain’s response to physical work.
At least, as stated by Halo Neuroscience, the American company that created this gadget, used in recent months by athletes who will be present in Rio, such as sprinter Hafsatu Kamara (Sierra Leone), hurdler Mikel Thomas (Trinidad and Tobago), and US Olympic medalists such as Natasha Hastings, gold in the 2008 Beijing 4 x 400; and Michael Tinsley, silver in the 400 meter hurdles in London 2012.
How does it work? According to the firm, their helmets send small pulses of energy to the brain to create a “state of hyperplasticity” that increases the ability of neurons in the motor cortex to work together and create connections that improve performance. Thus, they increase both strength (since the power and coordination of the signals sent from the brain to the muscles increases) and the brain’s ability to learn and remember movements.
Halo Neuroscience has worked with the American ski team and claims that it has proven the effectiveness of their invention, although these are only two studies conducted with 10 and 23 athletes respectively, an insufficient sample to be categorical in the conclusions.
Shameless marketing at the right time? A first step in a new era of neuroscience applied to sport? Time and results will tell. If you are not in the squad of skeptics and you think the Halo Sport will help you improve your fitness, you can order them here for around 600 euros.
