How I optimized my fitness routine with this brain-training wearable (and why you should, too)

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

ZDNET's key takeaways

Alphabeats is currently available for $499. The bundle includes an EEG headband and a one-year subscription.The software gives you detailed guidance, the option to choose your music, and the ability to train your focus.
It takes time and discipline to see results, and you must ensure to maintain contact connection to your head.

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I am not a professional athlete, but I have participated in sports since I was a young boy, played college football, and played rugby for over 20 years. I continue to run, row, bike, hike, and more as I try to keep my body and mind in shape. As someone with a very competitive drive, improving my performance, even as a 55-year-old, is why I am such a huge fan of wearable technology.

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For the past three months, I have been using the Alphabeats neurofeedback system to train my brain. Since I haven't been training for a specific event or for a long period of time, I don't have any specific personal data results to share. Instead, I'll share my experiences and point to those of professional athletes using Alphabeats. 

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While the focus is primarily on athletic performance, training your brain to be in an alpha state for other activities can also improve results there. As described in the extensive Alphabeats FAQ, alpha brainwaves are associated with relaxed wakefulness, creativity, and reduced stress. They help suppress irrelevant information, allowing you to achieve perfect focus, also known as a flow state. Alpha waves are crucial for mental clarity and peak performance -- increasing their production helps improve focus, relaxation, and overall mental well-being, making them particularly beneficial for athletes. I imagine military fighter pilots, musicians, and others participating in focused, intense activities could benefit from the training, too.

The Alphabeats system consists of the Alphabeats smartphone app and the BrainBit headband. The app provides training sessions, music, and results to help you and your team gauge the impact of your neurofeedback training. The headband measures your brainwaves and connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Since this is likely a new technique for most users, the app requires that you complete a series of introductory programs. This starts with the seven-session fundamentals program that helps build your personalized profile.

The fundamentals program lets you experience your brainwave activity by listening to music, viewing animated visuals, and completing science-backed games. These games include visuals with dice. Pay close attention, though -- you need to distinguish not only the numbers on the dice but also the shading on the dice.

After completing the fundamentals program, you can participate in the recovery/relaxation or building focus programs. It takes a lot of time and practice to get into the alpha state.

Neurofeedback training is new to me, so I had plenty of questions for the Alphabeats folks about what I was trying to focus on during the sessions. I love classical rock and choose it most of the time for the music, but it also brings back many memories, so I tried not to focus on the lyrics and memories but on relaxation and focus.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

For professional athletes, the difference between first and second place is often a razor-thin margin. Mental acuity and focus can be the difference in many situations. In July, The Sports Business Journal covered Alphabeats user Austin Karjicek, a US men's tennis doubles player. Austin won a silver medal in the men's doubles competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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When discussing Alphabeats in the article, Austin stated, "I was really impressed with the awareness that it gave me of my mental state. I've always been pretty good with that. As an athlete, obviously we are [good] with our bodies, but mentally, I think that's a space that a lot of guys can improve on. I was just trying to pay attention to that, and I really could notice a difference in my awareness of my states, during matches and then actually even translating off the court in some different things in various investment opportunities or big financial decisions we have."

Image: TeamNL

Archery is a sport that requires extreme focus and calm. The Dutch national archery team participated in an Alphabeats pilot in preparation for the Olympics. Nearly 70% of the archers who used Alphabeats were able to successfully produce alpha brain waves at will. You can read the full story of their experiences on LinkedIn.

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Finally, a study published this month measured the performance of elite soccer players and the impact that Alphabeats' training had on male and female players. The results showed that group brain training, not just one-on-one training, was also effective. The study found an increase of 34% in alpha brain activity in these groups, and linked it to better focus and relaxation.

ZDNET's buying advice

Athletes work hard to perfect their bodies for optimal performance. Alphabeats also lets them train their minds to work in concert with their bodies through neurofeedback technology.

You don't have to be an elite athlete to take advantage of this tech. The Alphabeats system uses your favorite music and brainwave feedback during activities to help you train your brain so that you can compete in an alpha state. At $499, it's an affordable system that anyone can use to improve their training and performance.