Athletes have a better hearing ability than ordinary people

A new study shows that professional athletes' brains are capable of analyzing sound better than ordinary people.

The study was conducted by a team of scientists at Northwestern University, headed by neuroscientist Nina Kraus, published in Sports Health Magazine on December 9.

The scientists measured the EEG of 495 sports students in the northwestern United States and 493 normal students, recording the bioelectric activity of the brain in response to sound.

"In this way, we can better understand human brain and nervous system health , " said Nina Kraus.

Professional athletes have less static electricity in their brains and are better at handling noise than normal people.

Volunteers in a quiet environment have a "noisy" brain, which affects their ability to analyze input from hearing. Meanwhile, people are constantly exposed to the lively sounds from language to music with less electrostatic nerves and better hearing reflexes.

"An information-hungry brain often generates random electrical impulses that interfere with sound perception , " explained Nina.

The team found that professional athletes have less static in their brains and their ability to handle noise better than normal people. An athlete can easily hear a teammate yelling about a coach's tactics or calls from outside the court by reducing the electrical noise noise in the brain.

The study is part of a work that has been done since 2014 on how the nervous system treats noise when it comes to brain tremors during sports. By analyzing the brain's response to sound after a concussion, the scientists hope to be able to better identify a safe time for an athlete who has just suffered a brain injury to return to the field.

Previous studies have shown that learning languages ​​or playing instruments are ways to improve the brain's response to sound. However, this is not useful for athletes.

"Playing an instrument can reinforce signal processing skills, but does not help solve the noise problem , " Nina said.

She hopes the research will become the basis for new techniques that can be applied to people suffering from hearing disorders or post-exercise concussions.