Performance Neuroscience

Human performance is rarely limited by skill alone. It is shaped by how the brain and body coordinate under pressure, fatigue, uncertainty, and opportunity. While performance science and performance psychology have traditionally examined these challenges through behavioral and psychological lenses, advances in neuroscience now allow us to examine performance at its biological core. This book introduces Performance Neuroscience, an emerging field that focuses on understanding and optimizing human performance by integrating brain dynamics, physiology, and behavior. Rather than treating cognition, emotion, and physiology as separate domains, performance neuroscience examines how large-scale brain networks, autonomic regulation, and psychophysiological states interact when people perform at their best. Bringing together contributions from leading researchers, this volume explores the neural and physiological signatures of optimal performance across sport, high-stakes decision making, training, recovery, and creative work. Topics include psychophysiological regulation, functional brain network dynamics, stress and arousal, flow states, contemplative practices, and emerging applications of AI for personalized performance optimization. Throughout the book, the authors address fundamental questions. What distinguishes peak performance states at the neural and physiological level? How does cognition reorganize under pressure? Are there identifiable brain network patterns associated with flow and resilience? How do stress and arousal facilitate or impair performance, and when do classical models such as the Yerkes–Dodson relationship break down? Can neuroscience inform smarter recovery, training, and real-time performance support? Performance Neuroscience offers a unifying framework for scientists, practitioners, and applied professionals seeking to understand not only whether humans perform well, but also how the brain and body adapt to enable high performance.