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The method in detail

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In the coming months we will build MELA, dedicated to the mental side of performance. MELA will do two things: objectively measure the athlete’s mental state and train it with targeted exercises. Each session will combine what the athlete does (responses, times, errors) with how their heart and brain will react, thanks to a heart sensor and a headband worn on the head.

Measuring the mental state

With two short, non-invasive tests, the Stroop Test and the Reaction Test, MELA will take a snapshot of the athlete’s mental state at that precise moment: how sharp, ready, focused and in control they will be.

Stroop Test

Colour names will appear on screen written in a different colour from the word. The athlete will indicate the colour, not read the word. The test will measure the ability to ignore distractions, block the instinctive response and decide quickly without losing precision.1

Reaction Test

The athlete will have to respond as quickly as possible to the appearance of a stimulus. The test will measure readiness, consistency of responses, impulse control (anticipated responses) and the maintenance of attention until the end of the trial.2

What it will be for

Psychophysical state

The data will build a picture of the psychophysical state and show whether the athlete is in an optimal mental condition or shows signs of tiredness and fatigue.2,3

Injury prevention

A mentally fatigued athlete reacts more slowly and controls their movements less well. The mental state will enter the assessment of injury risk and will support prevention: the staff will be able to intervene before the problem becomes visible on the field.3,4

A personal reference

Every test will be compared with the athlete’s own history. The more tests are done, the easier it will be to recognise an off day straight away and the effects of workloads, travel and little sleep.2

Objective data for the staff

Coaches, trainers and medical staff will have a measurable indicator of the mental state, to be placed alongside physical and workload data.

Mental state

Sharp
82%
Ready
74%
Focused
66%
In control
78%

Illustrative diagram

Compared with the history

Athlete history

  1. Workload
  2. Travel
  3. Little sleep

Illustrative diagram

A test done once will photograph a moment. The same test repeated consistently will become a training tool.5

Training mental abilities

The mind trains like the body. MELA will offer guided exercises that will work on the mental abilities that make the difference in competition. The same sensors used in the tests will show the athlete, in real time, the effect of what they are doing. Periodic tests will make it possible to verify progress over time.

  • Cardiac biofeedback

    What it will involve
    The athlete will breathe in a guided way while the screen shows heart rate variability in real time.
    Goal
    Learning to bring oneself back into a state of calm on command.
    Benefits
    It will reduce anxiety before competition, speed up recovery and improve control of arousal in decisive moments.6

  • Neurofeedback

    What it will involve
    The athlete will see their own levels of concentration and calm read by the headband and will learn to bring them into the optimal zone.
    Goal
    Training the ability to enter voluntarily into the mental state of peak performance.
    Benefits
    It will make concentration faster to reach and more stable, especially in precision movements.7,8

  • Resistance to mental fatigue

    What it will involve
    The athlete will do prolonged cognitive sessions, alone or combined with physical training.
    Goal
    Accustoming the brain to work under fatigue.
    Benefits
    It will keep the athlete sharp for longer and improve physical output in the closing stages of competition.5,9,10

  • Pressure management

    What it will involve
    The athlete will do exercises under conditions of increasing pressure: reduced time, noise, a score to defend.
    Goal
    Accustoming the athlete to the arousal typical of competition, so that it is not simply endured.
    Benefits
    It will make performance more stable in the moments that matter.11,12

  • Impulse control

    What it will involve
    The athlete will have to respond only to certain stimuli and hold back on the others, or stop a response already under way.
    Goal
    Training the ability not to react on instinct.
    Benefits
    It will work on an ability that distinguishes high-level athletes: it will reduce mistimed interventions and make decisions clearer.13,14

  • Visualisation

    What it will involve
    With guided audio, the athlete will imagine technical movements and competition situations in detail.
    Goal
    Consolidating the movement and preparing mentally for competition.
    Benefits
    It will give more confidence in decisive moments and will also be useful during an injury lay-off.15,16

  • Self-talk

    What it will involve
    The athlete will train a few key phrases, technical or motivational, to use at precise moments.
    Goal
    Having an immediate tool to refocus or resist effort.
    Benefits
    It will speed up recovery after a mistake and lower perceived fatigue.17,18

  • Pre-performance routine

    What it will involve
    The athlete will build and train a fixed sequence of preparation for the movement (breath, key words, image), which the sensors will monitor.
    Goal
    Making preparation stable and repeatable.
    Benefits
    It will give greater consistency and reduce the influence of pressure and external conditions.19

  • Mindfulness

    What it will involve
    The athlete will do short audio exercises of attention to the breath and the body independently.
    Goal
    Reducing stress and training the ability to return to the present after a distraction or a mistake.
    Benefits
    It will make attention more stable and reduce stress; in some studies it is also associated with a reduction in injuries.20,21,22

  • Reading the game

    What it will involve
    The athlete will watch videos of competition situations stopped just before the action: they will have to predict what will happen and choose the play.
    Goal
    Training anticipation and decision-making at the pace of the real game.
    Benefits
    It will train the perceptual abilities that distinguish expert athletes in open-skill sports, with exercises built on real competition situations.23,24

MELA by discipline

Every sport asks different things of the mind. Here is how MELA will adapt to the needs of each discipline.

  • Football

    Ninety minutes of quick decisions among teammates, opponents and the crowd.

    What matters most
    • Deciding in fractions of a second under pressure.25
    • Maintaining sharpness in the closing stages, when mental fatigue worsens passes and choices.3
    • Not letting a mistake affect you for the rest of the match.
    What MELA will work on
    • Periodic tests to monitor the psychophysical state and injury risk of the whole squad.3,4
    • Reading the game and impulse control.13,23
    • Resistance to mental fatigue and recovery from mistakes.5

  • Rugby

    A contact sport in which physical intensity and sharpness must coexist until the last minute.

    What matters most
    • Maintaining correct decisions under fatigue and after contacts.3,9
    • Managing arousal: high enough for impact, never out of control.
    • Precision in place kicks under pressure.
    What MELA will work on
    • Individual test history, which will be an extra reference for the medical staff in the event of a head impact.26
    • Cardiac biofeedback for the control of arousal.6
    • Pre-performance routine for the kickers.19

  • Ice hockey

    Short shifts at very high intensity, extreme speed and continuous contacts.

    What matters most
    • Immediate reaction to the puck, deflections and changes of play.
    • Recovering within seconds between one shift and the next.
    • Managing aggression without losing control.
    What MELA will work on
    • Reaction Test and impulse control.2,13
    • Cardiac biofeedback for quick recovery on the bench.6
    • Individual test history, which will be an extra reference for the medical staff in the event of a head impact.26

  • Basketball

    Very fast possessions, continuous reads and decisive moments from the free-throw line.

    What matters most
    • Reading defences and choosing the play in an instant.
    • Precision at free throws, especially in close finishes.
    • Starting again immediately after a mistake.
    What MELA will work on
    • Reading the game and impulse control.23,24
    • Pressure management and pre-shot routine.12,19
    • Visualisation of the key moments.15,16

  • Tennis

    An individual sport in which the player is left alone with their own thoughts for the whole match.

    What matters most
    • Letting go of the mistake and returning focused between one point and the next.
    • Reading the opponent’s serve and shots in a few tenths of a second.27
    • Maintaining sharpness and precision in long matches, when mental fatigue reduces shot precision.28
    What MELA will work on
    • Routine between one point and the next and self-talk.19,29
    • Anticipation of the return of serve with video training.27
    • Visualisation of the serve and resistance to mental fatigue.28,30

  • Athletics

    Very different disciplines, very different mental demands.

    What matters most
    • Sprint: reacting to the gun without anticipating (in competition a reaction under a tenth of a second is a false start).31
    • Middle and long distance: sustaining the effort when the head urges you to give up.
    • Jumps and throws: constant concentration and routine at every attempt.
    What MELA will work on
    • Reaction Test with analysis of anticipated responses.2,31
    • Resistance to mental fatigue and self-talk for endurance races.9,18
    • Pre-performance routine and visualisation for jumps and throws.15,19

  • Cycling

    Hours of effort in which the head decides how much you can push.

    What matters most
    • Resisting the impulse to give up and pacing the effort.14
    • Tactical sharpness after hours in the saddle.
    • Attention in the group, in the sprint and on descents.
    What MELA will work on
    • Resistance to mental fatigue, with cognitive training combined with rides or indoor trainers.10
    • Motivational self-talk to reduce perceived fatigue.18
    • Cardiac biofeedback for recovery between stages.6

  • Archery

    A static precision sport, in which what happens between draw and release matters.

    What matters most
    • Calm and a controlled heartbeat at the moment of release.32
    • Consistency of the routine over dozens of arrows.
    • Staying focused while ignoring the wind, the crowd and the score.
    What MELA will work on
    • Cardiac biofeedback and neurofeedback.6,8
    • Pre-shot routine that the sensors will monitor.19
    • Visualisation and pressure management.12,15

  • Clay shooting

    Precision on a moving target: the shooter’s calm is joined by readiness on the clay.

    What matters most
    • Fast and precise reaction to the release of the clay.
    • Constant attention throughout the series.
    • Resetting immediately after a missed clay and starting again.
    What MELA will work on
    • Reaction Test and impulse control.2,13
    • Cardiac biofeedback and pre-shot routine.6,19
    • Mindfulness and self-talk for recovery after a mistake.17,33

  • Beyond sport: fighter pilots

    In the cockpit the mental workload is continuous and every decision counts.

    What matters most
    • Selecting the relevant information in an instant from displays, radio communications and warnings.34
    • Maintaining vigilance and readiness despite closely spaced missions, shifts and lack of sleep.2,35
    • Staying sharp when the mental workload is at its maximum.36
    What MELA will work on
    • Periodic tests with reading of the mental workload through the heartbeat and its variability.36
    • Stress management with exercises at increasing pressure.11
    • Mindfulness and mental rehearsal of missions.16,37

  • Mental wellbeing

    Stress management, quality of recovery, stable attention in everyday life.

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