Making an impact within the consumer space with its first brain stimulator, Halo Neuroscience recently launched its fully upgraded Halo Sport 2 at a price point that makes neurostimulation even more accessible.
Their first product, Halo Sport, was originally released at CES 2017, which earned them a Fast Company Award for “Most Innovative Companies” in Fitness. This headset stimulated the motor cortex during athletic training to accelerate gains in strength, endurance, and skill.
Halo Neuroscience is a neurotechnology company that claims to champion the human potential. Halo partners include the Berklee College of Music, U.S. Olympic teams, Titleist Performance Institute, and U.S. Naval Special Warfare. In addition, Halo Sport is trusted by teams and athletes from the U.S. military, Olympics, MLB, NBA, NFL, NCAA, and more. The company is based in San Francisco, California and is backed by TPG, Andreessen Horowitz, Jazz Venture Partners, and Lux Capital.
Many users of the first headset started noticing improvements to their training and sessions almost immediately, but one of the impedances was not having a cordless experience. As hoped for in the new Halo Sport 2, Bluetooth audio has been integrated for an entirely wireless experience.
So how does a brain stimulator work and what does it actually do?
The concept of “neuropriming” – that is, non-invasively zapping your brain to be more malleable and active in order to improve forming of new synaptic connections (or strengthening existing ones), is not new and has been around for a few decades. However, it was not something that was readily available if you didn’t have access to a lab or appropriate equipment. Especially for people seeking to be at the top of their game in their own vocation, there’s a lot of interest in this technology since it increases brain plasticity. The increased likelihood of becoming even faster, stronger, or more skillful through reinforcing existing neural connections can make all the difference for elite athletes.
The Halo Sport 2 headset uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to send weak direct currents (below 2-3 mA) for a few minutes over the scalp. In a study recently published by Yoon et al. in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, the Halo headset was shown to stimulate the primary motor cortex areas of the brain, effectively priming the brain for motor-related movements. In this particular study, applying tDCS for 21 minutes with the Halo headset during cranio-cervical flexion exercise helped strengthen the sternocleidomastoid (a neck muscle) more effectively while improving pain and associated functions in patients with cervicogenic headache. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques are known as a safe and effective method for pain control and functional improvement.
That is just one of many studies. Halo Sport is backed by more than 15 years of research and 4,000 peer-reviewed papers. The company is also kicking off new studies with a few organizations to further unpack how brain stimulation improves athletic performance and accelerates skill development in music and esports.
I tried out Halo Sport 2 for myself as part of my Olympic weightlifting regimen. It was great to have a fully wireless experience without worrying about keeping my cell phone nearby or having that spotty Bluetooth signal often experienced when using adapters. The increased portability and flexibility allowed me to prime my motor cortex as I did warm-up exercises, and the new primer form factor makes it even easier to wet the electrodes prior to use. (Pro tip: instead of running the tips under the faucet for a minute, try submerging them in water instead). After beginning the 20-minute neuropriming session by hitting “Start” in the companion phone app, I felt the familiar tingle across my scalp. While fellow lifters would ask me if the headset made me instantly smarter or gave me superpowers (maybe it does – mind over matter, right?), if you haven’t tried such a device before, I’d caution against unrealistic expectations. If we could have an instant download of knowledge and skills as in “The Matrix,” then we would all be doing it by now.
For the hour following the priming session your brain is in a “hyperplastic state,” where you have an increased potential for creating new synapses and fortifying existing ones. That is to say, there is a greater chance for you to get more out of your movement drills. However, we each know that every workout and day is a different beast, and there’s still going to be good days and bad days.
Knowing this, I did believe that I had a better chance of having a “good lifting session” because I could immediately feel the effects of Halo Sport 2 on my ability to focus. I felt completely “tuned-in” more quickly, and that focus goes a long way when drilling various components of a complex movement. Of course, if I was already exhausted, there’s only so much effect neuropriming or any other stimulus could have. On days where I was particularly exhausted, using the headset felt similar to trying to have additional cups of coffee late in the day but feeling ultimately immune and persistently tired. But the latter state is on me for not being more rested before training. All in all, the results from using Halo Sport 2 for a few weeks was akin to the results of using version 1 of the headset, but the new headset is definitely something to be desired. It looks sleeker, sounds better, and provides an even improved experience overall.
Unlocking Human Potential Through Brain Stimulation: Halo Sport 2 [Medgadget]