Applied Behavioural Sports Science – Part 3: Cognitive Biases in Athlete Preparation
Why do well-informed athletes consistently make suboptimal training, recovery, and lifestyle decisions?
In Part 3 of the Applied Behavioural Sports Science series, this article examines how predictable cognitive biases, such as present bias, loss aversion, the planning fallacy, availability heuristics, and default bias, systematically shape athlete behaviour under fatigue, pressure, and uncertainty. Rather than framing these behaviours as individual failures, the article positions cognitive biases as emergent properties of the athlete–environment system.
Through a behavioural economics, systems thinking, and applied sport science lens, this blog argues for a mindset shift from athlete-centred blame to environment-centred design and shows how preparation systems can be structured to stabilise behaviour and support long-term adaptation.
The ASR Dashboard allows practitioners to plan straight line and change of direction (COD) conditioning sessions by inputting an athlete’s maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and maximal sprint speed (MSS). This tool automatically profiles each athlete into their assumed muscle fibre typology and provides training and recovery recommendations, including optimal and sub optimal conditioning intensities and durations. The ASR Dashboard includes both a conditioning tool for an individual athlete and a squad based prescription tool, allowing you to prescribe individualised distances for up to 36 athletes in one step.