Want to get faster reaction speed?
Want to get more efficient reacting to threats? Think training and myelinogenesis. Myelinogenesis can enhance your nervous system so that you will react faster, potentially 3000 times faster.
Myelinogenesis motivates me to train as much as I can with my Blauer Tactical Systems training community.
I love our sessions because they are truly brain-based and holistic, applying not only to traditional self-defense but enhancing our well-being in everyday life - personal relationships, work, and play.
Brain-based training is a fascinating subject. We dive into physiology, physics, and psychology and many other realms to train and change our bodies, brains, and minds to increase not only our self-defense potential, but our general well-being.
Last night, our session prompted me to go back to some research on myelin that I reviewed for a book on holistic self-defense that I'm working on. For the nerds among my friends, here are my notes.
For the less nerdy, the gist of the research is that training can increase your reaction speed (potentially by 3000 times) when faced with a threat.
Just “be careful what you’re training, so you don't get really good at the wrong thing.” Quoting Coach Tony Blauer.
My notes:
“Myelinogenesis (Res): The creation by glial cells of the myelin sheath around interconnected neurons.”
Pocket guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, by Daniel Siegel, M.D., at AI-54
“Myelin (Res): The fatty sheath created by glial cells that insulates the long axonal length of neurons such that the speed of neuronal firing is increased by 100 and the resting or refractory period is decreased by 30 times. The result of practice, myelin thus increases the effective communication among interconnected neurons by 3000 times, creating enhanced functioning necessary for skill building.”
We have an average of 10,000 connections linking an average neuron to other neurons. When we practice, the oligodendrocytes produce myelin. Myelin is a fatty sheath that wraps the axon of the neuron. When myelin is present, the speed of the action potential (the information flow) down the axon is 100 times faster. In addition, with myelin present the recovery time before the next firing happens - the refractory period – is 30 times shorter.
“The amount of enhanced functioning that a myelinated circuit * has is 3,000 (30 multiplied by 100) times that of a non-myelinated circuit.” Ibd. at 8-5
With practice our brain’s structure changes: neurons become myelinated and the firing speed changes dramatically.
Myelinogenesis lays down an insulating sheath (glial cells) along the interconnected neurons and information flow becomes more efficient and quicker.
Siegel adds, “There may even be changes in the way our glial cells enable the blood flow to supply the needed oxygen and nutrients to activate regions as well.” Ibd. at 8-5.