Neurocognitive mechanism of elite sports Bridging brain and cognition in sports

"Higher, Faster, and Stronger" is the Olympic motto, embodying our striving to challenge our physical boundaries. Quite naturally, predicting the limits of a humans’ athletic prowess has become a trending topic. However, it remains challenging to predict complex athletic performance under uncertain dynamic environments and regardless of age, level, and sport discipline. Key questions are what characteristics decisively influence human elite athletic performance, how do these features determine sporting success, and what factors can be used as a predictive index of athletic performance? Despite having grappled with these long-standing questions, the field is still not able to answer them conclusively. In this thesis, I attempt to elucidate potential neurocognitive mechanisms underlying different types of elite athletes and their performance and to provide evidence highlighting the importance of brain networks in sports performance. By using advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging, I can provide empirical evidence regarding the brains of elite athletes and their links to field performance. Importantly, I aim to show that gaining a deeper understanding of the athletic brain is key to understanding and enhancing human athletic performance in the future. The goal is to highlight the role of brain networks in sports and attempt to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying human athletic performance. Along with this line, I seek to promote a link between cognitive neuroscience and sports science that will help decode the human brain and enhance human athletic performance.