However, I strongly suggest looking into a six-sided bouncing ball for your drills. These bounce higher than tennis balls. But more than that, having six sides makes it harder to predict the direction it will bounce. When you consume caffeine, your body releases adrenaline hormones. This gets your blood pumping and directly affects the amount of oxygen your brain is getting. As a result, you’ll feel more alert. Your reaction times will see a boost as well. Though, this boost will only be temporary. Hernández OH, et al. (2007). Alcohol impairs the cognitive component of reaction time to an omitted stimulus: A replication and an extension. DOI: Telles, S., Pal, S. & Gupta, R.K. (2018) Changes in Reaction Time after Yoga Bellows-type Breathing in Healthy Female Volunteers. International Journal of Yoga. Volume 11, Issue (3), pp. 224-230. Either way, I’m sure you’d like to improve your reaction time. Let’s get into exactly how you do that. Reaction Exercise Drills for Any Sport

Deary, I.J., Liewald, D. & Nissan, J. (2011). A free, easy-to-use, computer-based simple and four-choice reaction time programme: The Deary-Liewald reaction time task. Behaviour Research Methods. Volume 43, Issue (1) pp. 258-268. Brain Spark is an arcade game that works both on concentration and reaction skills. It’s similar to the previous games where you need to tap on the correct color. You can add a twist to the color game by playing the reverse mode where you have to select the wrong color instead.Because sports require fast complex reaction times, the “average” is a bit different. The unique situation and the sport itself will determine what is average. If you want to feed your brain over the long-term, you can improve your diet and introduce several nutrients. Antioxidants are known to protect the brain. They have polyphenols, which may help to keep the brain safe from stress.

Andersons, T.A.F. & Ruan, C.-H. (2016) Vocabulary and the Brain: Evidence from Neuroimaging Studies. Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E.M., Gould, N.F., Rowland-Seymour, A., Sharma, Z., Sleicher, D., Maron, D.D., Shihab, H.M., Ranasinghe, P.D., Linn, S., Saha, S., Bass, E.B. & Haythornthwaite (2014) Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine. Volume 174, Issue (3), pp. 357–368. DAVIS, B. et al. (2000) Physical Education and the study of sport. 4th ed. London: Harcourt Publishers. p. 312 Whether you wish to test your reaction time or indulge yourself in a few games to improve it, this app has everything for you in one place. There are over 30 games such as color change, find the number, catch the ball, etc. which allow you to test and improve your reaction skills in a fun manner. The graphics of the game are old-school. You can also change theme, number of rounds for each game, add countdown before exercises, etc.Cognitive training is a relatively new concept that has made waves in the sports world in recent years. Some of the biggest athletes in the world have cognitive training included in their workout regime. Balkó, Š., Rous, M. Balkó, I. & Hnízdil, J. (2017) Influence of a 9-week training intervention on the reaction time of fencers aged 15 to 18 years. Physical Activity Review. Volume 5. pp. 146-154. Cognitive exercises aren’t the only way to train your reaction time. There is also a variety of physical exercises that can reduce the time it takes to respond to a signal. These exercises often combine responding to a stimulus as fast as possible with more traditional methods such as sprints, ladder runs, and plyometric training. If you want to challenge yourself even more, you can change the timing of each cue. Speaking of alcohol, it will always make your reaction time suffer. In fact, this is why so many drunk drivers survive accidents while their victims do not. Reactions are so slowed that they do not brace or tense for impact. Medications