• Olympians Look for an Edge with Brain Stimulation
    13 replies, posted
[quote]Several sprinters and hurdlers who will be competing for Olympic medals in Rio de Janeiro next month have been using a new training tool in preparation: stylish headphones that double as a brain stimulator. The device looks and works like real headphones but is engineered to precisely deliver mild electric current to the motor cortex, an area of the brain that coördinates movement. Dan Chao, cofounder and CEO of Halo Neuroscience, which developed the device and has been selling it for several months, says the company’s data shows that if elite athletes wear the stimulator while they train, it can make them better at specific athletic tasks—like accelerating off the starting blocks in a sprint or hurdle race.[/quote] [quote]The stimulation technique, called transcranial direct current stimulation, is a very popular subject of neuroscience research at the moment. Scientists have shown that delivering a small amount of electrical current can make neurons more or less likely to fire. And in the past 15 years a flurry of studies have suggested that the approach can be used for many things, from improving cognition to helping stroke patients regain movement.[/quote] source: [url]https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601950/olympians-look-for-an-edge-with-brain-stimulation/[/url]
More brain for the amoebas, I guess.
Basically, on one side of electrode, you speed up part of the brain, on other side of electrode, you slow down part of the brain.
[QUOTE=Fourier;50791067]Basically, on one side of electrode, you speed up part of the brain, on other side of electrode, you slow down part of the brain.[/QUOTE] totally safe, no health risks what so ever. :downs:
So performance enhancing like drugs?
[QUOTE=karlosfandango;50791126]So performance enhancing like drugs?[/QUOTE] If drugs aren't explicitly banned then they're allowed iirc Caffeine is a stimulant and you can bet your ass that people are (ab)using the fuck out of it
[QUOTE=nAXiom090;50791121]totally safe, no health risks what so ever. :downs:[/QUOTE] It might be safer than drugs which mess with brain receptors. Though it does increase fire rate of receptors...
[QUOTE=phygon;50791147]If drugs aren't explicitly banned then they're allowed iirc Caffeine is a stimulant and you can bet your ass that people are (ab)using the fuck out of it[/QUOTE] caffeine isn't allowed in excessive amounts. Damn near everything is banned lol, just depends if they test the athlete and if that shit's still in their system
[QUOTE=Bleach Qeef;50791247]caffeine isn't allowed in excessive amounts. Damn near everything is banned lol, just depends if they test the athlete and if that shit's still in their system[/QUOTE] Yeah, the limit is four large cups of coffee That's still a ton
the only thing better than tdcs is [URL="https://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/"]homebrew tdcs[/URL] [editline]28th July 2016[/editline] there are people who are right now sending electric currents through their head at the advice of redditors
I wonder if a genetically modified race of Olympians are allowed
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;50791406]the only thing better than tdcs is [URL="https://www.reddit.com/r/tDCS/"]homebrew tdcs[/URL] [editline]28th July 2016[/editline] there are people who are right now sending electric currents through their head at the advice of redditors[/QUOTE] I used things similar to that to stimulate my (and several other people's because it was incredibly funny) vestibular nerves to make myself/them feel like they were standing on an incline.This lead to us subconsciously correcting for that "incline" which got worse the more we leaned, until we uncontrollably ate shit. We eventually stopped when it turned out that after contact was established for ~30 seconds, you heard a little *pop* and your vision flashed white for a second, leading to you feeling dumber for a few seconds afterwards. Point being, this is actually safe, our bodies are designed to deal with current that small just fine.
[QUOTE=phygon;50791873]I used things similar to that to stimulate my (and several other people's because it was incredibly funny) vestibular nerves to make myself/them feel like they were standing on an incline.This lead to us subconsciously correcting for that "incline" which got worse the more we leaned, until we uncontrollably ate shit. We eventually stopped when it turned out that after contact was established for ~30 seconds, you heard a little *pop* and your vision flashed white for a second, leading to you feeling dumber for a few seconds afterwards. Point being, this is actually safe, our bodies are designed to deal with current that small just fine.[/QUOTE] I've tried it before too, after reading up on the safety for months. When you attach electrodes to your head over the visual cortex and then your vision starts flashing bright white.. Yeah, nope. Apparently this is a normal and safe side effect, but no matter how safe people say it is, I'm not touching it again. It is definitely REALLY cool though. Cognitive enhancement with electricity.. Too neat.
[QUOTE=Mitsudigi;50791906]I've tried it before too, after reading up on the safety for months. When you attach electrodes to your head over the visual cortex and then your vision starts flashing bright white.. Yeah, nope. Apparently this is a normal and safe side effect, but no matter how safe people say it is, I'm not touching it again. It is definitely REALLY cool though. Cognitive enhancement with electricity.. Too neat.[/QUOTE] i agree it is cool and probably safe, i just don't know how i feel about doing it myself and not having someone who knows what they are doing controlling it
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