Interview with the developer: Does "Life Kinetics" really make mountain bikers faster?

BIKE: Those who react and make decisions faster are faster on the bike. You say that life kinetics helps with this. What exactly is it?

Horst Lutz: That is correct. Life kinetics is a combination of movement, perception and cognition. These are things that we constantly need in everyday life. For bikers, this means that if you improve these skills, you can react faster and more correctly on the trail, because the faster you perceive, the more options you have. For example, when choosing a line or when to brake for a bend.

Nino Schurter and Co. juggle on Pezzi balls. So classic life kinetics exercises?

No, this exercise is missing the third point, namely cognition, i.e. thinking. When maths problems are set during the exercise, all three components of Life Kinetics are included. Juggling on the Pezziball trains the sense of balance. This is good for cycling, but can be quickly automated. In short: the exercise is certainly great for bikers, but even better with a cognitive aspect.

What exactly happens in your head during such an exercise?

Life Kinetics is about utilising the brain's ability to create new connections. The more connections I have, the more efficient I am. This means: more stress-resistant, more and longer concentration, better perception and faster processing of impressions. Incidentally, you can also use these skills to train other key training areas more effectively.

It is often said that both hemispheres of the brain are addressed.

We don't just distinguish between left and right, but between eight areas of the brain. It's all about networking. We talk about increasing connectivity. This is because all areas have different tasks, and if the connectivity is better, you can make faster and more correct decisions.

What does this mean for the cyclist on the race track?

Normally, you have maybe five variants in your head when a technical section comes up. For example, how to approach the bend, when to brake and so on. If you network the brain areas, you might have nine options and can decide more quickly and better in favour of one of the solutions - thanks to the networking.

How widespread is Life Kinetics training in professional sport?

Very common. In all ball sports, this ability is trained in the same way as strength or endurance. It is of no use to a footballer or tennis player if they have good stamina but cannot judge the trajectory of the ball. It's similar for ski slalom skiers. And it's the same with cycling. Because here, too, it's about assessing spaces, surfaces and distances and having the right action ready as quickly as possible.

So you're sure: I'll be faster on the bike with these exercises?

In any case. The more technical the terrain and the faster the movements, the more Life Kinetics helps. Triathletes also rely on Life Kinetics. I couldn't understand that at first because I was missing precisely these aspects. But Life Kinetics also has an effect on the right strategy. And you implement it better and more correctly with networked brain areas. In short, regardless of the sport: those who perceive more and can look ahead better have better actions at their disposal. Not only in sport, but also in life.

That sounds plausible. Are there any studies that prove this?
There are now over 45 scientific studies* on the effectiveness of Life Kinetics. Many show that, particularly in sports, improved concentration reduces the error rate and increases the speed of execution. In other words, faster and more error-free. I can't think of any sport where this is not an advantage. But also in everyday life.

For the pros, it's all about fractions of a second. To what extent can amateur bikers also benefit from this?

I'm not a biker myself, but I can imagine that hobby bikers also want to be fast on the road. Another aspect: those who perceive and react faster also crash less. And if you do, then probably better.

So these exercises also help to prevent injuries. How much time do I need to invest in order to feel improvements?

Yes, 45-60 minutes per week is enough for Life Kinetics, no matter how you distribute it. The scientific evidence relates to this if you do it correctly and consistently according to the special Life Kinetics training theory, which only trained Life Kinetics coaches have mastered.

Can you describe an exercise that is easy to explain? If we are talking about balls, then as follows:

1st movement module: Throw two balls up and catch them with crossed hands. Then throw again with crossed hands, catch with uncrossed hands, etc.

2nd balance/awareness module: Perform the exercise on a wobble board or stand on one leg on a soft floor mat.

3rd cognitive building block: I imagine a city, e.g. Berlin. With the last letter, I have to name another city while I carry out points 1 and 2. So in this case: Nürnber(G), Gagena(U), Unterhachin(G)...

That sounds ambitious. You've been doing this for many years. So you must be the king of multitasking.

Multi-tasking is often misunderstood. Nobody can do two things at the same time that they have to think about. But you can learn to switch quickly from one thing to another: Then it looks like I can multitask. But in reality, I'm doing two things at once. By the way: studies show that it's better to do one thing at a time rather than jumping back and forth. You finish faster that way.

* Studies: University School of Physical Education, Krakow, Poland, Application of Life Kinetics in the process of teaching technical activities to young football players (2015) | ZI Mannheim, The Exercising brain: Changes in functional connectivity induced by an integrated multimodal (2016) | Uni Regensburg, Cognitive Motor Coordination Training and the Improvement of Visual-spatial cognition in Office Work (2017) | Uni Regensburg, Cognitive Motor Coordination Training Improves Mental Rotation Performance In Primary School-Aged Children (2017) | University of Tsukuba, Effect of multitask program in sitting position for nursing care users Focus on cognitive function, brain function, mental health (2020).

Celebrity voices on Life Kinetics:

I clearly realised that I could perceive more. That helped me in many situations in the game. Especially when things got tight and I had to move quickly. I've improved a lot since I started doing Life Kinetics. It's fascinating that a training programme like Life Kinetics is so much fun on the one hand and so beneficial on the other! - Nuri Sahin, former Turkish international, national champion in Germany and Spain, football coach in Turkey

I was enthusiastic about Life Kinetics right from the start. Not only because it's great fun, but also because I noticed improvements after just a few days of training. - Felix Neureuther, former ski racer, team world champion, nine-time German champion, 15 World Cup victories

I have already tried neuro-athletic forms of training and find it amazing how alert you feel in your head afterwards. As far as I know, there are still no scientific studies at the neurotransmitter level that prove all the positive effects mentioned. I believe that mountain biking and sport in general is all about repetition. In other words, automatisms. Life Kinetics doesn't have that, you jump from one task to the next. Nevertheless, I see many positive effects with Life Kinetics, for example training a faster reaction time. - Lorenz Westner, trainer, coach and MTB rehab expert, Puch Sports School in Fürstenfeldbruck