193 - Dr. Scott Frey: The Brain’s Impact on Athletic Performance, Conquering Mental Fatigue, and Strategies for Optimal Recovery

The Derek Teel Podcast

Is your brain holding you back from peak performance? In this episode of the Dialed Health podcast, I am joined by Dr. Scott Frey of Cerebral Performance to dive into this very topic.

We discuss mental fatigue’s impact on athletic performance, how our brains act as a protective mechanism, limiting our output before we reach our true physiological limits, and science-backed techniques to use for pushing past these mental barriers. We also discuss practical tips like box breathing and mindfulness practices that can help athletes tap into their full potential.

Scott H. Frey, Ph.D., Ed.M., an award-winning scientist, mentor, and lifelong endurance athlete, leads a research program that focuses on understanding the relationship between the brain and human performance.

Find more from Dr. Scott Frey:

Website: https://cerebralperformance.com/

Email: [e-mail]

Find more from Derek Teel:

Website: https://dialedhealth.com/

Instagram: @dialedhealth

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dialedhealth

What We Discuss:

05:02 Scott Frey's background in psychology and neuroscience

08:15 How the brain limits athletic performance and perceived exertion

15:40 Mental fatigue and its impact on athletic performance

20:30 Strategies for mental recovery, including mindfulness and box breathing techniques

35:20 Sleep issues before races and how to manage pre-race anxiety

40:10 The role of confidence in athletic performance and dealing with imposter syndrome

45:30 Practical tips for implementing mental recovery techniques into daily routines

55:40 Project Tailwind and its goals