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Grasping your athlete's response to cognitive training is essential for fine-tuning performance enhancement strategies. Among the plethora of metrics, we emphasize the "Big Three" as central to your decision-making process. It's important to evaluate these three metrics collectively rather than individually. If all three metrics show improvement, it indicates successful adaptation. Conversely, if all three metrics either show no improvement or deteriorate, it's a sign to reassess and adjust your approach, keeping in mind the interconnectedness of these metrics.
When the Big 3 Have Improved Significantly (Over 5%):
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An improvement exceeding 5% in the big 3 (reaction time, variation, and accuracy) signifies that the athlete has successfully adapted to the current training stimulus. To further cognitive development, consider the following actions:
Introduce a New Task: Choose a new task that targets the cognitive demand you plan to focus on in the next program.
Customize the Existing Task: Increase the task's intensity or duration, or both, and apply a specialized training mode to increase the cognitive load of the task.
When Performance in the Big 3 Has Not Improved by 5% or Shows No Change:
If there's no improvement or the changes are less than 5% in the big 3, this can be considered a plateau or minimal adaptation. In such instances:
Reuse the Task: The current task remains valuable as is, offering the athlete another chance to meet its challenges.
Customize the Task: Adjust the task's intensity, extend its duration, or incorporate a specialized training mode to create a more customized cognitive challenge.