Neuroscience Explains Aging Athletes' Sharpness

In a world where sports are dominated by youth and speed, some athletes in their late 30s and even 40s are not just keeping up - they are thriving.

Novak Djokovic is still outlasting opponents nearly half his age on tennis's biggest stages. LeBron James continues to dictate the pace of NBA games, defending centers and orchestrating plays like a point guard. Allyson Felix won her 11th Olympic medal in track and field at age 35. And Tom Brady won a Super Bowl at 43 , long after most NFL quarterbacks retire.

The sustained excellence of these athletes is not just due to talent or grit - it's biology in action. Staying at the top of their game reflects a trainable convergence of brain, body and mindset. I'm a performance scientist and a physical therapist who has spent over two decades studying how athletes train, taper, recover and stay sharp. These insights aren't just for high-level athletes - they hold true for anyone navigating big life changes or working to stay healthy.

Increasingly, research shows that the systems that support high performance - from motor control to stress regulation , to recovery - are not fixed traits but trainable capacities. In a world of accelerating change and disruption, the ability to adapt to new changes may be the most important skill of all. So, what makes this adaptability possible - biologically, cognitively and emotionally?

The amygdala and prefrontal cortex

Neuroscience research shows that with repeated exposure to high-stakes situations, the brain begins to adapt. The prefrontal cortex - the region most responsible for planning, focus and decision-making - becomes more efficient in managing attention and making decisions, even under pressure.

During stressful situations, such as facing match point in a Grand Slam final, this area of the brain can help an athlete stay composed and make smart choices - but only if it's well trained.

In contrast, the amygdala, our brain's threat detector, can hijack performance by triggering panic, freezing motor responses or fueling reckless decisions. With repeated exposure to high-stakes moments, elite athletes gradually reshape this brain circuit.

They learn to tune down amygdala reactivity and keep the prefrontal cortex online, even when the pressure spikes. This refined brain circuitry enables experienced performers to maintain their emotional control.

Creating a brain-body loop

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, is a molecule that supports adapting to changes quickly . Think of it as fertilizer for the brain. It enhances neuroplasticity : the brain's ability to rewire itself through experience and repetition. This rewiring helps athletes build and reinforce the patterns of connections between brain cells to control their emotion, manage their attention and move with precision.

BDNF levels increase with intense physical activity , mental focus and deliberate practice, especially when combined with recovery strategies such as sleep and deep breathing .

Elevated BDNF levels are linked to better resilience against stress and may support faster motor learning , which is the process of developing or refining movement patterns .

For example, after losing a set, Djokovic often resets by taking deep, slow breaths - not just to calm his nerves, but to pause and regain control . This conscious breathing helps him restore focus and likely quiets the stress signals in his brain .

In moments like these, higher BDNF availability likely allows him to regulate his emotions and recalibrate his motor response , helping him to return to peak performance faster than his opponent.

Rewiring your brain

In essence, athletes who repeatedly train and compete in pressure-filled environments are rewiring their brain to respond more effectively to those demands. This rewiring, from repeated exposures, helps boost BDNF levels and in turn keeps the prefrontal cortex sharp and dials down the amygdala's tendency to overreact.

This kind of biological tuning is what scientists call cognitive reserve and allostasis - the process the body uses to make changes in response to stress or environmental demands to remain stable. It helps the brain and body be flexible, not fragile.

Importantly, this adaptation isn't exclusive to elite athletes . Studies on adults of all ages show that regular physical activity - particularly exercises that challenge both body and mind - can raise BDNF levels , improve the brain's ability to adapt and respond to new challenges, and reduce stress reactivity.

Programs that combine aerobic movement with coordination tasks, such as dancing , complex drills or even fast-paced walking while problem-solving have been shown to preserve skills such as focus, planning, impulse control and emotional regulation over time .

After an intense training session or a match, you will often see athletes hopping on a bike or spending some time in the pool. These low-impact, gentle movements, known as active recovery , help tone down the nervous system gradually.

Outside of active recovery, sleep is where the real reset and repair happen. Sleep aids in learning and strengthens the neural connections challenged during training and competition.

Over time, this convergence creates a trainable loop between the brain and body that is better equipped to adapt, recover and perform.

Lessons beyond sport

While the spotlight may shine on sporting arenas, you don't need to be a pro athlete to train these same skills.

The ability to perform under pressure is a result of continuing adaptation. Whether you're navigating a career pivot, caring for family members, or simply striving to stay mentally sharp as the world changes, the principles are the same: Expose yourself to challenges, regulate stress and recover deliberately.

While speed, agility and power may decline with age, some sport-specific skills such as anticipation, decision-making and strategic awareness actually improve. Athletes with years of experience develop faster mental models of how a play will unfold, which allows them to make better and faster choices with minimal effort . This efficiency is a result of years of reinforcing neural circuits that doesn't immediately vanish with age. This is one reason experienced athletes often excel even if they are well past their physical prime.

Physical activity, especially dynamic and coordinated movement , boosts the brain's capacity to adapt. So does learning new skills , practicing mindfulness and even rehearsing performance under pressure. In daily life, this might be a surgeon practicing a critical procedure in simulation, a teacher preparing for a tricky parent meeting, or a speaker practicing a high-stakes presentation to stay calm and composed when it counts. These aren't elite rituals - they're accessible strategies for building resilience, motor efficiency and emotional control.

Humans are built to adapt - with the right strategies, you can sustain excellence at any stage of life.

Fiddy Davis Jaihind Jothikaran does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.