Boosting Sports Performance with Pupil Control: Dr. Marc Bächinger, myflow

This might be a tool that sports psychologists have dreamed of:a way to measure athletes’ mental training efficacyfor boosting sports performance.You know, like when a runner runs slower today than the day beforetheir coach has the data to compare.If that same runner puts less effort into their mental training,their sports psychologist would not know.This is what my guest is working on,giving mental coaches a VR headset and metrics to rely onto help athletes find flow and improve sports performanceYou will hearwhy do professional athletes need mental trainingwhat flow ishow your pupil size changes when you are relaxed or arousedand how by controlling your pupil, you can control your mindDr. Marc Bächinger is the co-founder and CEO of MindMetrix. He is a neuroscientist with a Ph.D. in health sciences and technology who completed his postdoc in pupil-based biofeedback to modulate the arousal system in the human brain.MindMetrix is an early-stage Swiss startup that develops myflow. This Virtual Reality application allows professional athletes and sports psychologists to track, analyze, and optimize mental training by giving feedback on the size of their pupils.Follow myflow’s development and their current call for study participants athttps://www.myflow.ch/Timestamps:0:00 Dr. Marc Bächinger and myflow1:19 What is Flow?7:28 Mental Training in Professional Athletes13:08 How to Measure Mental Training Efficacy17:03 Locus Coeruleus Pupil and Control Over Arousal Level24:01 Family History and the Pursuit of Neuroscience26:18 Sports Psychologists and Training the Pupil33:20 VR-Supported Biofeedback Method for Relaxation and Activation39:28 Noa Loosli Swiss Football Player45:42 Call for Study Participants48:02 Thank You Follow myflow48:28 Follow X-Health.show Disclaimer If you've enjoyed listening, you'll make us happy by clicking "Follow" on X-Health.show and leaving a review.The information in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your healthcare practitioner. The opinions on the show are Alex's or her guests. The podcast does not make any responsibility or warranties about guests statements or credibility. While the podcast makes every effort to ensure that the information shared is accurate, please let us know if you have any comments, suggestions or corrections.