Nervous System in Athletic Ability

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There are some amazing athletes today. The speed and agility of athletes today is greater than ever before. Why is this? It is because we have learned about the role of the nervous system in athletic performance. It isn’t the amount of muscle you have, skill, or pure strength that makes you a great athlete. It is how efficiently you can use your nervous system. The nervous system is the key to becoming an extraordinary athlete, but it can also hurt you. For example if you are born with a brain problem, like Lou Gehrig or Muhammad Ali you could be in trouble later in life. They both were born with a weakened substania nigra, a part of the brain that controls movement. Althought the brain dysfunction caused them problems (Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s Disease) It also was the reason that when they were at their best, they had amazing quickness. Human behavior all stems from the brain, so athletic ability would have to be in the brain also. Muscle control and speed is all determined by electric signals sent from the brain through the nervous system. Muscle function in babies is very limited because their motor cortexes are so underdeveloped, but as they age they begin to learn new functions. The motor cortex area in the brain is the part of the brain that is responsible for muscle memory, and it develops as we continue to grow and do more things. The brain is constantly growing to meet the demands of new tasks. Wayne Gretzky was a hockey player known for his extremely fast shot. A Canadian neurologist tested him, and it was determined that Gretzky had the quickest reflexes that he’d ever measured. His brain cells were exceptionally quick, and that enabled him to excel in his sport. If you think about all of the great athletes of the world, some are gifted with exceptional strength, power, balance, and reflexes. It all comes back to how you were born,

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