Basketball and Frontier Neuroscience - tDCS, Microdosing, Sensory Deprivation

"The mental is to the physical in basketball four to one." 

Novel techniques like transcranial direct stimulation, microdosing, and sensory deprivation inhabit the nearby horizon. 

Scientists study how the brain reacts to external stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Fans construct a mental image and prediction of games' outcome, just as statisticians like Ken Pomeroy do. During surprises fans experience pupil dilation and shifts in high level frontal cortex activity. 

So what? Show me something useful. 

NBA players believe in the "hot hand." The graph above shows the likelihood of taking a three-pointer with the next shot DEPENDS on the results of previous shots. The top blue line shows that a players on a three-point streak reinforces the likelihood of taking another one. The orange line shows the "cold" shooter is less likely to do so. Regardless of whether the hot hand exists, players believe. "Alas, this type of behavior does not help anything; a player who makes a 3 pointer is 6% less likely to make his next his 3 than if he had missed his last 3 pointer."

Elite players anticipate the next action because they predict the outcome of a shot better than coaches or novices. 

Can neuroscience tools effect change? A cyclist tried the Halo Sport transcranial direct stimulation tDCS headphones to see if he could improve his personal best at age 41. Mission accomplished. 

Halo Sport enhanced cycling performance and motor skill learning. 

Controversy surrounds the use of "microdosing" of psychoactive medications - marijuana, psilocybin, and LSD. Depending on your perspective, these lie on the "frontier horizon" or "whack job" science. There is research evolving assessing the benefits of microdosing on human performance. It often starts with the military. 

Steph Curry and other NBA players use "sensory deprivation tanks" to facilitate mindfulness training. 

Bottom line is for us to be aware of "frontier science" studied to improve human performance. They won't be available to every athlete. Well-conducted studies assessing the benefits and risks of individual and combined techniques invite investigation. 

Lagniappe: I'm a broken record on attack mentality to score off special situations. Amidst the pandemic, in Massachusetts, SLOBs replace BOBs, so coaches should consider the risks and benefits of SLOBs attacking both sides of the court. Here are the multiple actions magic from Zak Boisvert.