New research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has unveiled a fascinating insight into the world of elite athletes and performance artists. The study, conducted by Dr. Praneeth Namburi and his team at the MIT.nano Immersion Lab, reveals that a small set of “general motor skills” distinguishes world-class performers from their regional and novice counterparts. This discovery could have significant implications for competitive sports and musculoskeletal health.
Contrary to the long-held belief that athletic prowess is highly specific to individual sports, the study identifies fundamental traits shared by top athletes across various disciplines. Dr. Namburi explains,
“We discovered that world-class experts across fields minimize inefficient elastic tissue motions compared to regional-level athletes and non-experts.”
These inefficient motions, including physiological tremors, do not contribute to the effective movement of body segments, thus wasting time and energy that could be better utilized.
Unveiling the Secrets of Elite Performance
The research team employed a combination of motion capture, accelerometry, and ultrasound imaging, enhanced by deep learning and optical flow analysis, to track both external body movements and internal elastic tissue motions. The subjects included world-class athletes, regional-level athletes from diverse disciplines, and untrained non-experts performing a simple reaching task.
Surprisingly, the study found that regional-level athletes exhibited inefficiencies similar to non-experts but achieved better performance by optimizing muscle length changes. Dr. Namburi notes,
“While it may seem intuitive that experts’ muscles move differently from those of intermediates and non-experts, it is less obvious that muscle motions of experts in different disciplines would differ from non-experts in the same way.”
He highlights common characteristics among experts, such as fewer tremors and more effective muscle-length changes.
Implications for Training and Health
Dr. Namburi’s inspiration for the study stemmed from his ballroom dance lessons, which led him to explore the shared motor skills underlying various movements. He suggests that understanding these general motor traits could revolutionize training methods and reduce healthcare costs by lowering injury risks.
“This research could benefit athletes and performance artists in developing sustainable training habits,”
he says, emphasizing the potential for identifying naturally efficient movers, often referred to as possessing talent.
He draws a parallel between motor skill development and learning to read, advocating for a foundational approach to training.
“We don’t simply hand children books; instead, we teach them the alphabet, words, and grammar,”
Dr. Namburi explains. A deeper understanding of physiological foundations could lead to more effective movement skill programs.
Potential and Caution in Application
The study also suggests that expert levels of general motor skills can be achieved through personal training. Dr. Namburi reports,
“With only a few minutes of tremor-based biofeedback, intermediate-performing athletes reduced their tremor rate and muscle-interface speed to expert levels—albeit by slowing the movement.”
This indicates that these indicators are not strictly fixed.
However, Dr. Namburi advises caution, noting that while reducing inefficiencies can enhance movement quality, it is not sufficient for world-class performance. He likens achieving efficiency in elastic tissue motions to sourcing high-quality ingredients for cooking.
“While premium ingredients are essential for a delicious dish, they must still be used skillfully to create an exceptional meal,”
he adds.
This groundbreaking research, partially conducted at the MIT.nano Immersion Lab, will be presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium, on July 8, 2025. The findings promise to reshape our understanding of athletic training and performance, offering new pathways for athletes and coaches to explore in their pursuit of excellence.
