Unlocking Athletic Potential: How Skin Exposure Impacts the Brain and Performance
Date
2024
Authors
Sanders, Declan
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Athletic performance can be influenced and has been significantly improved through the development of better sporting technology. As this ongoing challenge to develop the next performance-enhancing technology continues, a new idea has arisen that could further elevate athletes. Modern athletic clothing often covers a large portion of the skin, preventing much of the sensory information from the environment from reaching the brain. This raises the question: By wearing clothing that increases skin coverage, could athletes prevent their sensory systems from processing important tactile sensory information that may improve performance? This question was explored through electroencephalography (EEG) to record sensory evoked potentials (SEPs), which are electrical signals resulting from sensory stimuli, while participants were engaging in physical activity. Each participant wore two clothing conditions, maximal and minimal, during separate bouts of standing and walking on a treadmill. Results from preliminary data show no significant differences in SEP amplitudes depending on the participant's clothing condition. This may be a result of low sample size and the methods used for the processing and analysis of data. The study is ongoing, and it is yet to be confirmed whether the amount of skin exposure an athlete has while exercising impacts SEPs and performance.
Description
Keywords
sensory evoked potentials, electroencephalography, performance, technology, clothing, skin exposure