What is the brain doing before we move?
We follow the final seconds before an action to see how attention, brain rhythms, and the body prepare together.
SPIN Lab
SPIN Lab records athletes’ EEG and heart rate variability in the seconds before action, and uses selected EEG markers as neurofeedback training targets.
Under pressure, preparation often changes before technique does. We measure that preparation, train it, and test whether the effect carries back to sport.
Students: explore research participation →01 · Three questions
Why can the same athlete suddenly feel different?
Pressure can shift attention, breathing, heart rhythm, and movement preparation before technique appears to change.
Does the change stay when it matters?
We ask who responds to neurofeedback, how much practice helps, and whether learning carries into sport.
02 · Method
Why EEG?
Time scale
EEG records rapid electrical changes for analysis before action.
Beyond self-report
EEG is compared with the athlete’s account and the coach’s observations.
Feedback practice
Task-relevant EEG markers can provide feedback during regulation practice.
EEG
Examine the timing and allocation of neural resources before action.
HRV
Variation between heartbeats shows how the body moves between tension and recovery.
Task
Interpret signals alongside the sporting action.
Transfer
Remove feedback and test learning in the sport.
03 · Sport application questions
Archery
How do attention and neural preparation change from full draw to release?
Golf
How does attentional focus before a putt relate to movement stability?
Shooting
How do EEG and heart rate variability change under reward and punishment pressure?
Table tennis
How do players prepare for the next point after an error or a close exchange?
Badminton
How do attention and anticipation work together in fast exchanges?
Gymnastics
How does nervousness before a routine relate to movement preparation?
Martial arts
How can athletes recognise and return to their familiar preparation state before competition?
Football
How do rhythms across brain regions synchronise before a set-piece kick?
04 · Athlete accounts
Athlete feedback
AUTODrag, swipe, or use arrow keys
ARCHERY01
Before I aim, the noise in my head is quieter. I find my own rhythm first, then let the movement happen.
GOLF02
After a miss, I can leave the last shot where it was and return to the shot in front of me.
GOLF · READINESS03
Back in competition, I could still recognise the state I had practised in training. That familiar feedback told me I was ready.
TABLE TENNIS04
When the score is close, I notice sooner that I am getting stuck, and I find it easier to return to what the next point needs.
SHOOTING05
Before the trigger there is less mental clutter. I am not thinking harder; my state is simply clearer.
WUSHU06
Pre-competition preparation no longer relies on feeling alone. I now have a trackable routine that brings me into a familiar, comfortable competition state; once on the floor, it is easier to lock into the moment and perform at the level I reach in training.
GYMNASTICS07
The nerves before I compete are still there, but they no longer take over the movement. I can carry them through the routine instead of being dragged along by them.
BADMINTON08
After I lose a point, I find it easier to leave that point behind and return to the next shuttle.
Anonymised summaries, shared with the athletes’ consent. Individual experiences vary.
05 · How a collaboration works
Recording with the Okti portable high-density EEG system.
06 · Research programmes
Taiwan Institute of Sports Science
A two-year programme develops neural-efficiency and movement-readiness indices, then tests neurofeedback transfer in shooting and archery.
View research programme →National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) · Principal Investigator
The programme tests training dose, individual response profiles, function-specific instruction, and whether learning remains useful under pressure.
View research programme →STUDENTS & RESEARCH PARTICIPATION
Research participation enquiries
SPIN Lab stands for Sport Performance Integration with Neuroscience. It brings sport neuroscience, EEG and neurofeedback together to study movement preparation, state regulation and sport performance.
Interested in preparation before action, EEG or neurofeedback? Explore the methods and programmes, then tell us about your background and research question.
Methods to explore
- EEG acquisition and analysis
Recording quality and interpretation of EEG before action.
- Neurofeedback research
Task-relevant markers, individualised feedback and testing after feedback is removed.
- Physiological and sport-specific assessment
Interpret heart rate variability (HRV), behaviour and task performance together.
How the research works
The work connects a clear research question with reliable measurement, feedback practice and sport-specific testing. Based at the Taiwan Institute of Sports Science, the lab uses the Okti portable high-density EEG system.
Current research programmes
- AUG 2026—JUL 2027 · National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) · TaiwanOptimizing Sport Performance through Neurofeedback and Function-Specific Instruction: Dose–Response Effects, Training Response Profiles, and Stress-Related Generalization of Training Effects →
- 2026 · TWO-YEAR PROGRAMME · Taiwan Institute of Sports Science (TISS)From Brain to Movement: Neural Efficiency, Movement Readiness, and Field Translation in High-Performance Athletes →
- MAR 2026—FEB 2027 · Taiwan Institute of Sports Science (TISS)Development of an Automated EEG Preprocessing and qEEG Feature Quantification System for Sports Applications →
07 · Brainfield
Articles, podcasts and talks that explain attention and pressure research in plain language.
Brainfield →08 · Before you write
Graduate students
Graduate students with a research question about movement preparation, EEG or neurofeedback.
Useful information to include- Institution, career stage and relevant experience
- The research question you would like to explore
- Your availability
Athletes and coaches
Athletes, coaches and parents seeking to clarify a training or competition question.
Useful information to include- Sport and current role
- The situation and coaching observations
- What you would like an assessment to clarify
Research collaborators
Researchers interested in a shared question, method or publication.
Useful information to include- Institution and research background
- Shared question and collaboration idea
- People involved and a possible timeframe
These routes are for research participation and collaboration enquiries, not admission or vacancy announcements.