We already know that athletes can run and jump better than just about anyone on the planet. But do they have a mental edge, too? That’s the question at the heart of ongoing research among contemporary neuroscientists. Namely, from Discovery Magazine, what makes Derek Jeter so damn perfect?
What Makes Athletes’ Brains Different?
↵↵The qualities that set a great athlete apart from the rest of us lie not just in the muscles and the lungs but also between the ears. That’s because athletes need to make complicated decisions in a flash. One of the most spectacular examples of the athletic brain operating at top speed came in 2001, when the Yankees were in an American League playoff game with the Oakland Athletics. Shortstop Derek Jeter managed to grab an errant throw coming in from right field and then gently tossed the ball to catcher Jorge Posada, who tagged the base runner at home plate. Jeter’s quick decision saved the game—and the series—for the Yankees.
↵To make the play, Jeter had to master both conscious decisions, such as whether to intercept the throw, and unconscious ones. These are the kinds of unthinking thoughts he must make in every second of every game: how much weight to put on a foot, how fast to rotate his wrist as he releases a ball, and so on.
↵↵It’s always been obvious that certain professional athletes have instincts that normal people just cannot grasp, but now, we’re looking to prove this with SCIENCE. And that’s cool, but let’s not kid ourselves. When I think of the “athlete brain,” Jamarcus Russell is the archetype, apotheosis, and all-around gold standard. Step aside, Jeter. Now: can science please tell us all “the kinds of unthinking thoughts he made in every second of every Oakland Raiders game” the past few years?
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↵via uvtblog.com
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