# Cognitive Neuroscience in Alpine Skiing: Introducing Computational Sports Medicine for Performance Optimization

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new approach called Computational Sports Medicine that combines brain science with traditional sports medicine to improve athletic performance, using alpine skiing as an example.

## Contribution

The paper introduces Computational Sports Medicine, a novel framework integrating cognitive neuroscience with sports medicine for performance optimization.

## Key findings

- Working memory updating is critical for adaptation in dynamic environments like alpine skiing.
- Computational Sports Medicine provides quantifiable metrics and testable models for proactive intervention in training.
- The framework supports personalized training and safe return-to-play decisions by prioritizing brain function.

## Abstract

While sport psychology has long emphasized mental and cognitive aspects of performance, sports medicine has traditionally focused on musculoskeletal and physiological aspects, largely overlooking the brain's central role in athletic performance. This narrative review aims to bridge this gap by introducing Computational Sports Medicine, a novel framework that integrates cognitive neuroscience with established physiological and biomechanical measures. Using alpine skiing as a primary example, this review examines the critical role of working memory updating in dynamic environments, discusses how neural processes enable adaptation, and proposes Computational Sports Medicine as a unifying predictive framework. This approach moves beyond descriptive analysis to provide objective, quantifiable metrics, testable models, and the ability to simulate “what‐if” scenarios for proactive intervention. Practical implications for training include developing sport‐specific cognitive tasks, individualizing variability in motor and cognitive learning, and leveraging technologies like virtual reality and wearable sensors. The review primarily targets elite and sub‐elite athletes, for whom cognitive and environmental demands are most pronounced. This brain‐inclusive framework offers a personalized approach to performance optimization, injury prevention, and safe return‐to‐play decisions, positioning the brain as the central organ to the future of sports medicine.