Athletes Add Brain Endurance Training to Physical Conditioning

What changed

Endurance athletes are adding brain endurance training to physical conditioning: 10 to 20 minutes of rapid exercises testing reaction time, decision-making and memory, several times a week. Cyclist Tom Portsmouth turned to the method after breaking his hip in May 2023 and struggling to rebuild confidence and secure long-term sponsorship. Coach Scott Frey now uses it with about 15 athletes.

Why it matters

The method treats mental fatigue as part of the endurance problem, not merely an unpleasant side effect. Athletes may finish a long race with their legs still moving but their attention scattered by pain, anxiety and doubt. BET is designed to make that mental strain part of training too.

That makes it an appealing edge in a field where athletes already train, fuel and recover in similar ways. But the practical test is less glamorous than the concept: the exercises are deliberately exhausting, and Christopher Ring says many athletes do not stick with them. Portsmouth’s experience shows why coaching matters, but it does not establish how much the method improves results or whether it works equally well across sports and athletes.

The most credible takeaway is modest. BET is being used as another tool for preparing athletes to keep making decisions when fatigue starts narrowing their focus, not as a proven shortcut to better performance.