Even among the best athletes in world gymnastics, American Simone Biles, who is now competing in her third Olympic Games, stands out. Scientists explain the reasons.
With 8 Olympic medals and 30 medals in world championships to her credit, American Simone Biles is considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.
What, then, is the science behind her success?
The answer to Simone Biles’ abilities and skills lies in her dedication to her training, as well as her neuromuscular system, which includes everything from the strip of tissue that runs through the frontal lobe of the brain and controls movement, to the sensory receptors that provide feedback to the muscles themselves, explains Gina Pongetti, a former gymnast and physical therapist for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“Being a top athlete is one level. To reach the level of Simone requires absolute understanding of her body and the incoming signals reaching it,” says Pongetti.
Biles stands out from other athletes, both in the way she perceives her body in space and in how she improves her muscle memory, “as well as the fact that she has one of the most incredible bases of strength and fitness I have ever seen in an athlete,” she added.
The Proprioception in Simone Biles’ Perfection
Biles started gymnastics at the age of 6. Starting at such a young age is common among elite gymnasts, as developing brains are capable of absorbing information, said Dr. David Neuman, a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and clinical director of NY Sportscare in Manhattan.
This early practice, he explains to Live Science, often provides the foundation for later proficiency.
Especially important for gymnasts is proprioception, which is the ability of the body to receive information from the skin, muscles, and joints.
This sense relies on signals from specialized cells within muscles, tendons, and joints.
In muscles, for example, bundles of nerves called muscle spindles tell the brain how stretched or contracted a muscle is.
In the skin and joints, receptors known as Pacinian corpuscles react quickly to the sense of pressure.
When Biles competes in vault, these corpuscles are one of her key informants regarding how straight her palms hit the apparatus and whether she has effectively transferred the force needed to launch and rotate in the air.
None of these decisions are conscious. The movements happen so quickly that the motor planning must be pre-programmed, Pongetti explained.
In fact, she likened her movement to a fireworks show, where fuses of different lengths ignite simultaneously.
The programmed sequence activates when the performer takes their first step. In motor learning, the connection of movements in this way is referred to as “chunking,” said Gregory Youdan, an independent movement scientist and dancer in New York.
Then, throughout the course of her exercise routine, the proprioceptive system informs the athlete if everything is going well.
The muscles and fascia, the rich in nerves connective tissue that surrounds muscles and organs, respond based on the required movements to make micro-corrections.
And this is where Biles’ famous “work ethic” comes in. To reach this level of automation, gymnasts must practice perfectly.
This is a gradual process that begins on soft foam mats in a gym, a structure that resembles a pool and is filled with foam cubes, where performers can fall without getting hurt.
From there, athletes gradually progress to performing exercises on the gym floor without mats.
“As each step progresses, your level of confidence should increase, allowing you to take more risks with a less forgiving landing,” explains Pongetti.
In a 2004 study, scientists used a sequence of finger movements, rather than gymnastics exercises, to explore how this kind of memorized motor learning becomes automatic.
The same areas of the brain were investigated both when people first learned the finger movements and subsequently, after they learned to perform them automatically.
However, brain activity slightly decreased in many regions once the movement became automatic, suggesting that automation stems from increased efficiency.
In 2016, researchers proposed a new theory called the motor control theory (Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning, OPTIMAL).
This suggests that external focus of attention (on the outcome of the movement and not on the precise focus on one specific part of the body) contributes to the smooth progression of this learning process.
“Athletes focus on the process and technique,” said Dr. Lorenzo Norris, psychiatrist and medical director of the Resilience and Wellness Center at George Washington University’s medical school.
Practice not only makes perfect but also creates self-control: By practicing skills over and over, elite athletes can remain calm and focused during high-pressure competitions, Norris concluded.