REACTISPORT: Reducing the Impact of Competitive Stress on Decision Making and Motor Precision Through Vagal Recalibration and EEG-Based Neuroregulation

Elite athletic performance is frequently compromised in decisive competitive moments due to stress-induced neurocognitive destabilization rather than insufficient technical preparation. Acute stress alters prefrontal cortical functioning, disrupts executive control networks, and reduces autonomic flexibility, thereby impairing decision-making accuracy and fine motor execution. The present randomized controlled longitudinal study (REACTISPORT) evaluated the effectiveness of a 10-week integrated neurophysiological intervention designed to recalibrate autonomic balance and optimize cortical network coherence in professional athletes. Eighty elite athletes (football, handball, basketball) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 40) receiving multimodal brain-based training or to a control group (n = 40) undergoing standardized assessments only. The intervention combined EEG-based neurofeedback, transcranial photobiomodulation (10 Hz alpha; 40 Hz gamma), heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback, transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation, and binaural auditory stimulation. Outcomes included quantitative EEG coherence (BA24/32), HRV parameters (RMSSD, LF/HF), perceived physiological stress (GP-8), and sport-specific performance under simulated competitive pressure. Compared to controls, the experimental group demonstrated significant increases in RMSSD (+12.5 ms), improved autonomic balance (LF/HF –1.3), enhanced anterior cingulate EEG coherence (+13%), substantial reductions in perceived stress (–16 points), and a 35% decrease in motor errors under pressure (p < .001 for all outcomes). These findings indicate that competitive resilience is a trainable neuroregulatory capacity. Integrated modulation of cortical and autonomic systems significantly reduces stress-related performance degradation, offering a scalable framework for embedding applied neuroscience within elite sport performance infrastructures.