Muscle memory article

Interesting article that pertains to karting

"This type of muscle memory also means your brain no longer has to think so much about the movement, said Brett Johnson, CEO of Chicago-based SwitchedOn Training Inc., who holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. When you’re initially learning a new movement or skill, you are in the cognitive stage, Johnson said, where your movements are slow and inefficient and there’s high activation in the prefrontal cortex, which is your brain’s thinking region.

From there you progress to the associative stage, during which your brain is still working hard, but your movements are becoming more fluid and consistent.

Muscle memory is achieved when you reach the autonomous stage. Your performance is now smooth and accurate, and your brain’s main activity has switched to the basal ganglia, the region involved with automatic functioning."

The Warren bit:

" There is one caveat to neurological muscle memory, though. If you don’t have oversight from a trainer, coach or teacher as you lay down these neural pathways, you may inadvertently develop bad form, whether that’s running with an inefficient stride or slouching over the keyboard. And poor technique could increase your risk for overuse injuries, according to research."

And poor technique could increase your risk for overuse injuries
I came across this in sim. Seating position not quite right. Led to nerve/joint problems.

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Dibs on “Basal Ganglia Racing” as a team name!

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We had a similar discussion on this topic a couple of years ago.

I think from a driver’s standpoint you could liken it to where your focus is on track. In the beginning you tend to focus on where your kart is on track at that moment, concentrating on your inputs.

As you progress focus shifts to where you want your kart to be down the track or in the upcoming corner. Driving is not automatic, but very deliberate still.

Once you establish muscle memory, your brain is freed up to really dial in your Race-Craft. Setting up your opponents, managing tires and really feeling what the kart is doing and when its doing it. Driving the kart becomes secondary.

I feel like I am still in stage 2. What is the expression? Seat Time, Seat Time, Seat Time!!!

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