In conversation with Dr Tommy Wood on episode 93 of the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast
Dr Tommy Wood is a neuroscientist, performance coach and head scientist for motorsport at Hintsa. He also describes himself as an ‘elite professional geek’. So who better to ask about maintaining mental performance as we get older?
1 Firstly, The Basics Still Matter – Even In F1
After working in motorsport for almost nine years, one thing that has surprised Tommy is that even elite-level athletes like Formula One drivers still aren't optimising basic health practices like sleep and diet for their cognitive performance. Simple, yes, but overlooked even at the top.
2 Work Your Brain Like Your Body
The most important contributor to cognitive function is stimulation. Just as muscles strengthen when we work out, so the brain improves when engaged in complex tasks.
“We can see clinically meaningful results if we take a concerted effort to train our brains,” says Tommy. Formula One drivers exemplify this, as their brains are constantly challenged by multi-tasking, split-second decisions, and high-pressure situations.
"In simple terms, do things that you’re bad at and get better at them."
3 Failure Trains The Brain
Tommy also emphasizes the importance of failure in driving brain adaptation and improvement, so cognitive training should include complex tasks that you might fail at. This process triggers neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganise itself, which is key for learning and improvement. So don’t shy away from mental challenges where failure is likely. Seek them out.
FULL EPISODE
4 Change This Thinking Error
Yes there is some natural cognitive decline as we age but we have more control over this than we might realise. Tommy believes that one major influence on this decline is that we stop doing challenging things which drive adaptation.
In school and early adulthood, we do it all the time. But the older we get, the more we hate being bad at stuff.
This is something that psychologist Ellen Langer calls ‘Stereotype Embodiment Theory’ – negative stereotypes about getting frail and slow as we get older become self-fulfilling if we buy into them. So change the narrative.
5 Pick Something You're Bad At - And Get Better
The single most important action for improving brain health and performance, according to Dr. Tommy Wood, is to choose a complex skill that you’re not good at and dedicate time to improving it.
In fact, the more you suck at it, he says, the better. Whether it's a physical skill like a new sport, a mental skill like learning an instrument, or even a social skill, the process of improving at something you struggle with provides the best conditions for brain growth.
The ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast applies insights from elite sport to everyday performance. New episodes every Tuesday.
