Performance Begins and Ends in the Nervous System: Why “Neural Athletes” Are the Future of Speed

This is a really interesting thing that got me thinking today. I overheard a student talking about an athlete how they must be good as they look strong so therefore they must be fast. Then with the algorithm working it's magic I scrolled across a post talking about Neural athletes and before I could read it I accidently closed the app. So it got me thinking....

Performance Begins and Ends in the Nervous System

When we talk about performance, we often start with muscles; how strong they are, how big an athletes have become or how much force they can produce. But in truth, performance doesn’t begin in the muscles. It begins and ends in the nervous system.

Every contraction, every stride, every reaction starts as an electrical signal in the brain and travels through a complex web of pathways before it ever reaches the muscle. Yet in modern sport, we often train as though the muscle is the driver, not the responder.

I think we can quite confidently say that our elite athletes today are stronger, leaner, and arguably more biomechanically efficient than ever. They squat impressive numbers, move weights explosively, and execute what a lot of people would consider textbook technique. However, when they step on the track, the stopwatch tells a different story. The improvements we are seeing are marginal a 0.01 or 0.02 seconds here or there. Over an entire season, that’s often all we see.

Some will say, well that is a PB and we are moving in the right direction, and yes while that is technically true in my opinion and for many, that marks the start of the plateau.

So When Does Strength Stop Translating

So what do we do when we hit that wall?

We push harder.

We add more weight.

We increase the reps.

We switch the exercise.

We chase a new PB.

But in doing so, we often assume that the problem lies in the muscle, it is thought that it’s not strong enough, big enough, or powerful enough. What we fail to recognise is that the muscle isn’t the one that’s fatigued or underdeveloped.

It’s the nervous system — that complex internal computer — that’s overloaded.

The nervous system controls how quickly and how precisely we can express the strength we already have. It decides the timing, the coordination and the recruitment of muscle fibres. It governs how well the body uses the power it’s been given.

And when that system becomes overworked or under-trained, performance flatlines and just gives out what it can.

The Human Computer

Think of the nervous system as the operating system of the human machine, the brain, spinal cord, motor units and neurotransmitters that communicate to make movement possible.

When we train strength, we build the hardware- the engine, the frame, the structure. But if we never update or refine the software, we end up with a disconnect between the system’s potential and its output.

Think of it this way. It’s like putting the body of a Ford Mustang on the engine of a Morris Minor. It might look powerful from the outside, but internally, the system isn’t capable of meeting the demands placed on it. The engine can’t handle the weight, the speed or the expectations.

That’s what happens when we build stronger, bigger athletes without teaching their nervous system how to control and express that strength we have developed.

Expression vs. Capacity

Every athlete has two kinds of strength:

• Force Capacity – what the muscles can produce.

• Force Expression – what the body can use effectively in sport.

Many athletes have huge force capacity, they can move heavy loads but their force expression lags behind. They have power they can’t yet access.

But Why? It's because their nervous system hasn’t yet been trained to coordinate, sequence and release that power efficiently. When you strengthen the muscles but don’t evolve the nervous system, the athlete ends up “strong but slow.” The system can’t process the data fast enough to use the strength effectively.

That’s why the best athletes aren’t necessarily the strongest in the gym, they’re the ones who can apply strength faster, more precisely and more rhythmically than anyone else.

Neural Optimisation: Training the Signal

This is where what some call Neural Engineering but what I like to call Neural Optimisation begins.

Neural Optimisation focuses on refining the signal that the nervous system sends to the muscles. It’s about creating clarity and control rather than chaos and noise.

When the neural pathways fire cleanly and efficiently, every muscle action becomes more coordinated, more explosive and in return more consistent. The athlete doesn’t just move harder they move smarter.

So the question is - How do we go about training or "Optimising" this?

Training the Nervous System

So how do we train this complex internal computer?

• Sprint and React

  Sprinting at high intensity or as it is often called true sprinting. This is one of the most powerful ways to train the nervous system. The velocity, frequency and precision required force the brain and spinal cord to fire at maximum efficiency.

  
  

• Plyometrics and Elastic Work

  Elasticity is neural. It’s not just about muscles bouncing; it’s about the timing and sequencing of stretch and release. When done correctly, plyometrics enhance the nervous system’s ability to store and release energy instantly.

  
  

• Ballistic and High-Speed Strength Work

  Light, fast, explosive lifts done with intent. Examples of this are medicine ball throws, jump squats or Olympic lift derivatives. These exercises condition the nervous system to fire rapidly rather than grind slowly.

  
  

• Coordination and Rhythm Training

  The nervous system thrives on timing. Movements that involve rhythm, precision, and reaction (like resisted sprints, curved runs, or agility-based games) develop fine motor control and motor unit synchronisation.

  
  

• Recovery and Regulation

  The nervous system doesn’t just train, like everything else it needs recovery. Sleep, low-intensity movement, breathwork, and controlled exposure to stress (like heat, cold, or contrast training) help re-regulate and restore the system.

Shifting the Focus

For a lot of coaches and athletes and this is something I have fallen foul of over the last few years. We’re at a point in sport where muscular development has outpaced neural efficiency.

We’ve created athletes who look like superheroes but can’t always express their strength in the moments that matter most. It’s not about rejecting the weight room. Strength is still vital in the development of top level athletes. HOWEVER we must remember that the nervous system is the conductor and the muscles are just the orchestra. Without harmony and precision, the sound becomes noise.

The future of high performance lies not in creating stronger athletes, but in creating neural athletes, the individuals whose internal computers are finely tuned to process, adapt and execute at speed.

Summary of a mad complex internal system

Performance begins and ends in the nervous system.

When the signal is clean, the movement is efficient.

When the system is sharp, the athlete is fast.

And when we learn to train the brain-body connection as much as the muscle, we move beyond the small gains, those frustrating 0.01s and 0.02s. Instead we unlock a level of performance that has been waiting beneath the surface all along.

Neural athletes don’t just look strong. They move with precision, efficiency, and power that starts from within. Where performance truly begins.