Brain Doping has officially arrived.

[vp2015]

I wrote a post about brain doping using transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) a few years ago. I guessed that Team Sky was winning because they were using brain doping, an undetectable, legal and probably effective way to overcome your brains “central governor”, a hypothesized subconscious safety device that kicks in to prevent organ damage.
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=21100&p=1294420&hilit=tdcs&sid=cbb6ed243c4e19179d25d4af99cb0857#p1294420
Now a new company, Haloneuro, is using tdcs for brain doping. It's tDCS device is being used now by the US Ski Team and Michael Johnson Performance training facility. Brain doping is real and happening right now.
https://www.haloneuro.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW-ltuS6rXg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_4X7JTmZTg

"We're seeing enhanced learning ability and enhanced power output.”
Luke Bodensteiner
Executive VP of Athletics | United States Ski & Snowboard Association


Ski jumpers training with Halo Sport saw a 31% improvement in their propulsion force (1.7x improvement over sham control group) and a 25% decrease in jump entropy (1.8x improvement over sham control group). “Seeing these results is extremely exciting for everyone. We definitely see Halo Sport becoming an important tool in how we train our athletes,” says Bodensteiner.

https://www.haloneuro.com/case-study-usski

Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/halo-neurosc...ulation-424829
Before Chao turns on the headset I’ve tentatively put on, I ask if he uses it. He’s 44 and a serious cycler. In Marin County, Chao tells me, there’s a climb called Hawk Hill on which local bikers measure their worth. He claims that after training with Halo, he set a personal record by 15 seconds, beating times he had when he was much younger.
https://www.strava.com/segments/229781

 

[Maxiton]

Fascinating. How come you have a new user identity now?

 

[vp2015]

Fascinating. How come you have a new user identity now?

I haven't been logged on in years so I forgot by user ID and password.

 

[Maxiton]

Fascinating. How come you have a new user identity now?

I haven't been logged on in years so I forgot by user ID and password.

Thanks for that. Makes sense.

I used to suspect, privately, that Armstrong might have been the beneficiary of experimental gene doping by the US government. Given that he might have been facing death by cancer without it, plus what the government stood to gain with it (experimental data, plus the national and corporate soft power he would generate if they were successful), I thought it might explain his performances and dominance while being "the most tested athlete in history". Turns out the explanation was a great deal simpler and more prosaic.

So while it's certainly possible, and perhaps likely, that Sky is brain doping, I think it more likely that their performances probably come down to designer drugs, strategic use of motors in certain bikes, and protection from the UCI.

I'd like to see Rupert Murdoch brain doped. Might be an improvement.

 

[jens_attacks]

It didn't arrive in the clinic yet.

 

[jmdirt]

My brain feels doped, not enhanced, lately!

It certainly is an interesting discussion: is this any different than physiological and/or nutritional improvements in training? Is it any different than the psychological "counselling' that elite athletes have used for years?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Ski jumpers training with Halo Sport saw a 31% improvement in their propulsion force (1.7x improvement over sham control group)

Does that mean there is a 18% (31% divided by 1.7) improvement just by telling them that they might have had the treatment?
As long as the athletes are sufficiently suggestible, that is the way to go, it can never be banned.

 

[vp2015]

Team Sky is looking at Brain Doping (March 2015)

During his stay Brailsford visited 20 tech companies, met venture capitalists, and tested a wide range of products that in one, two or five years’ time may see the light of day. Repeatedly he found himself asking this simple question: how many of these ideas swirling around Silicon Valley, no matter how esoteric or crazy-sounding, could help his riders go faster? In essence he was searching for Marginal Gains 2.0; a new tranche of tiny advantages over Team Sky’s rivals in the peloton. And what he found, he says, was very interesting. “Although some of it is a bit out there,” he adds, cheerily. “Really out there.”Which brings us back to those electrodes on his head. “That’s me, at one company, doing my darts test,” he says. “It’s a form of cranial stimulation. The military have been using it for their snipers to reduce the time it takes them to acquire a skill. What they are suggesting is that this increases the plasticity of the cortex to enable fast-track learning.

“After a while they sent an electrical current and I carried on playing darts to see whether it would improve my play.” Did it work? “I got better at darts,” he says, laughing. “Well, I went from *** to less ***.”
I believe it's already been used in many Pro races and I guess Brailsford know it.

The device claims to help users achieve a state of “flow”, that feeling when every task seems easy and effortless, but Brailsford is just as interested in research that suggests cranial stimulation could help endurance capacity. “They think that it can override the brain,” he says. “When the brain goes ‘right, I better close down and stop’, the cranial stimulation overrides that, and allows you to compete closer to your body’s capability, which is interesting.

“Now this isn’t something we will be seeing in the Classics next year, but it is something to experiment with. And when you immerse yourself into what’s going on over there you realise there’s quite a lot of stuff that is consumer-facing and some of it is close to being developed.”

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/06/team-sky-dave-brailsford-cycling-new-technology?CMP=share_btn_tw

 

[Pentacycle]

Re:

Some times, I really glad I'm getting old. You've got to ask yourself WTF we are doing when people are doing this kind of stuff to their brains - with who knows what implications for brain tumours or neural networks etc. - all so people can jump further on a pair of planks or go 15 secs quicker up a hill.

The only risk I see is that brain connections might be altered, specifically ones that could increase risk of developing mental illness. Use of psychedelic drugs can do the same, with the right thought processes you can slightly change the wiring of your brain related to fitness and muscle control. Though this is not a preferred alternative for pro athletes since it's probably illegal. I'd day this whole electrical method is not that different from a CO intoxication or altitude camp, it's all about investing time and effort in getting the last few %.

 

[Maxiton]

Re: Re:

Some times, I really glad I'm getting old. You've got to ask yourself WTF we are doing when people are doing this kind of stuff to their brains - with who knows what implications for brain tumours or neural networks etc. - all so people can jump further on a pair of planks or go 15 secs quicker up a hill.

The only risk I see is that brain connections might be altered, specifically ones that could increase risk of developing mental illness. Use of psychedelic drugs can do the same, with the right thought processes you can slightly change the wiring of your brain related to fitness and muscle control. Though this is not a preferred alternative for pro athletes since it's probably illegal. I'd day this whole electrical method is not that different from a CO intoxication or altitude camp, it's all about investing time and effort in getting the last few %.

We'll know in about 2030, when the whole Sky Team turns up in a psych ward. Though given the state of pro cycling they should feel right at home.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

We'll know in about 2030, when the whole Sky Team turns up in a psych ward. Though given the state of pro cycling they should feel right at home.

how about we save everyone the time and effort and pantani and vandenbroucke harm and get them sectioned today
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/beingsectionedengland.aspx

 

[vp2015]

I can't imagine that tDCS would ever be banned because there is absolutely no way you can tell someone has used it.

 

[Maxiton]

Re: Re:

We'll know in about 2030, when the whole Sky Team turns up in a psych ward. Though given the state of pro cycling they should feel right at home.

how about we save everyone the time and effort and pantani and vandenbroucke harm and get them sectioned today
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/healthadvice/problemsdisorders/beingsectionedengland.aspx

Great idea. Then we could write a book about it. Sectioning The Sky Team. Has a certain poetic ring to it, doesn't it?

 

[Maxiton]

 

[King Boonen]

There is no independent evidence that tDCS has any effect whatsoever in healthy individuals. There is, in fact, evidence to the contrary. For the time being, this can be filed with homeopathy on the list of things we should care about in terms of doping.

 

[vp2015]

So just how are Team Sky doing that? Previous changes have involved moving away from traditions of long winter foundation rides in favour of high intensity sessions throughout the year and more training camps rather than races. Another cycling norm is being broken this year and, although it is being implemented by Thomas on this training ride, Kerrison requests that what he thinks is “very new thinking” is not specifically explained in this article. It is interesting, though, to notice how other leading riders from the Monaco area latch onto the Sky riders.
Kerrison knows that this year’s training change – which was partly inspired by his background in rowing – will eventually become common knowledge in the peloton but, by then, hopes to be trying something else. “This is the best we know now but for sure there are better ways to do things,” he says.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cycling/2016/03/12/behind-the-scenes-with-tim-kerrison---the-team-sky-visionary-beh/
I'm guessing it's brain doping since Team Sky went to silicon valley last year and talked to the companies that are doing this. He's right that it won't stay secret for long.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/06/team-sky-dave-brailsford-cycling-new-technology?CMP=share_btn_tw

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Brain doping has existed for years. Any substance that alters brain function (e.g. caffeine or amphetamines) is brain doping to a certain extent.

 

[TheSpud]

Re:

I can't imagine that tDCS would ever be banned because there is absolutely no way you can tell someone has used it.

That doesn't mean it wont be banned - EPO was banned long before it could be tested for.

 

[vp2015]

Re:

Brain doping has existed for years. Any substance that alters brain function (e.g. caffeine or amphetamines) is brain doping to a certain extent.

True, but caffeine and amphetamines can be tested and banned. Testing is not possible for tDCS.

 

[vp2015]

Re:

There is no independent evidence that tDCS has any effect whatsoever in healthy individuals. There is, in fact, evidence to the contrary. For the time being, this can be filed with homeopathy on the list of things we should care about in terms of doping.

DARPA disagrees with you. http://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2016-03-16
The body’s branching network of peripheral nerves connects neurons in the brain and spinal cord to organs, skin, and muscles, regulating a host of biological functions from digestion to sensation to locomotion. But the peripheral nervous system can do even more than that, which is why DARPA already has research programs underway to harness it for a number of functions—as a substitute for drugs to treat diseases and accelerate healing, for example, as well as to control advanced prosthetic limbs and restore tactile sensation to their users.

Now, pushing those limits further, DARPA aims to enlist the body’s peripheral nerves to achieve something that has long been considered the brain’s domain alone: facilitating learning. The effort will turn on its head the usual notion that the brain tells the peripheral nervous system what to do.

The new program, Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT), seeks to advance the pace and effectiveness of a specific kind of learning—cognitive skills training—through the precise activation of peripheral nerves that can in turn promote and strengthen neuronal connections in the brain. TNT will pursue development of a platform technology to enhance learning of a wide range of cognitive skills, with a goal of reducing the cost and duration of the Defense Department’s extensive training regimen, while improving outcomes. If successful, TNT could accelerate learning and reduce the time needed to train foreign language specialists, intelligence analysts, cryptographers, and others.

The program is also notable because, unlike many of DARPA’s previous neuroscience and neurotechnology endeavors, it will aim not just to restore lost function but to advance capabilities beyond normal levels.

DARPA intends to take a layered approach to exploring this new terrain. Fundamental research will focus on gaining a clearer and more complete understanding of how nerve stimulation influences synaptic plasticity, how cognitive skill learning processes are regulated in the brain, and how to boost these processes to safely accelerate skill acquisition while avoiding potential side effects. The engineering side of the program will target development of a non-invasive device that delivers peripheral nerve stimulation to enhance plasticity in brain regions responsible for cognitive functions. The goal is to optimize training protocols that expedite the pace of learning and maximize long-term retention of even the most complicated cognitive skills. To meet these diverse objectives, TNT expects to attract multidisciplinary teams spanning backgrounds such as cognitive neuroscience, neural plasticity, electrophysiology, systems neurophysiology, biomedical engineering, human performance, and computational modeling.

 

[proffate]

would this allow you to kill your self tom simpson style?

 

[King Boonen]

Re: Re:

There is no independent evidence that tDCS has any effect whatsoever in healthy individuals. There is, in fact, evidence to the contrary. For the time being, this can be filed with homeopathy on the list of things we should care about in terms of doping.

DARPA disagrees with you. http://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2016-03-16
The body’s branching network of peripheral nerves connects neurons in the brain and spinal cord to organs, skin, and muscles, regulating a host of biological functions from digestion to sensation to locomotion. But the peripheral nervous system can do even more than that, which is why DARPA already has research programs underway to harness it for a number of functions—as a substitute for drugs to treat diseases and accelerate healing, for example, as well as to control advanced prosthetic limbs and restore tactile sensation to their users.

Now, pushing those limits further, DARPA aims to enlist the body’s peripheral nerves to achieve something that has long been considered the brain’s domain alone: facilitating learning. The effort will turn on its head the usual notion that the brain tells the peripheral nervous system what to do.

The new program, Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT), seeks to advance the pace and effectiveness of a specific kind of learning—cognitive skills training—through the precise activation of peripheral nerves that can in turn promote and strengthen neuronal connections in the brain. TNT will pursue development of a platform technology to enhance learning of a wide range of cognitive skills, with a goal of reducing the cost and duration of the Defense Department’s extensive training regimen, while improving outcomes. If successful, TNT could accelerate learning and reduce the time needed to train foreign language specialists, intelligence analysts, cryptographers, and others.

The program is also notable because, unlike many of DARPA’s previous neuroscience and neurotechnology endeavors, it will aim not just to restore lost function but to advance capabilities beyond normal levels.

DARPA intends to take a layered approach to exploring this new terrain. Fundamental research will focus on gaining a clearer and more complete understanding of how nerve stimulation influences synaptic plasticity, how cognitive skill learning processes are regulated in the brain, and how to boost these processes to safely accelerate skill acquisition while avoiding potential side effects. The engineering side of the program will target development of a non-invasive device that delivers peripheral nerve stimulation to enhance plasticity in brain regions responsible for cognitive functions. The goal is to optimize training protocols that expedite the pace of learning and maximize long-term retention of even the most complicated cognitive skills. To meet these diverse objectives, TNT expects to attract multidisciplinary teams spanning backgrounds such as cognitive neuroscience, neural plasticity, electrophysiology, systems neurophysiology, biomedical engineering, human performance, and computational modeling.

I'm sorry, where in your copy and paste from that webpage is there any evidence that tDCS actually works? You can just highlight it in bold to make it easy.

Lets not forget FutureMap, their work with telepathic spies and hafnium bombs. I'm sure there are plenty more.

 

[vp2015]

The Journal Nature discuses tDCS and sports. This is not a joke King B.
‘Brain doping’ may improve athletes’ performance
Electrical stimulation seems to boost endurance in preliminary studies.
http://www.nature.com/news/brain-doping-may-improve-athletes-performance-1.19534
They write about a new study from March 7 at the Biomedical Basis of Elite Performance meeting in Nottingham, UK.
The researchers stimulated the brains of 12 untrained volunteers before directing the athletes to pedal stationary bicycles until they were exhausted. Every minute, they asked the cyclists to rate their level of effort.

Volunteers who received tDCS were able to pedal two minutes longer, on average, than were those who were given a sham treatment. They also rated themselves as less tired. But there was no difference in heart rate or the lactate level in the muscles between the treatment and control groups. This suggests that changes in brain perception, rather than muscle pain or other body feedback, drove the improved performance.

 

[chuckmicD]

brian doping?

 

[arthurvandelay]

Before Chao turns on the headset I’ve tentatively put on, I ask if he uses it. He’s 44 and a serious cycler. In Marin County, Chao tells me, there’s a climb called Hawk Hill on which local bikers measure their worth. He claims that after training with Halo, he set a personal record by 15 seconds, beating times he had when he was much younger.
https://www.strava.com/segments/229781[/quote]

Maybe Chao was drafting off of infamous Strava doper and KOM setter Brandt-Sorenson....

We as a cycling community have become quite odd now that some folks worship disgraced dopers for their juiced performances on Strava.......Are you out there Tommy D?