New Research Reveals Shared Movement Efficiencies Among Elite Athletes

In recent groundbreaking research, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered that world-class athletes across various sports share fundamental movement efficiencies that significantly enhance their performance. This study, conducted by Dr. Praneeth Namburi, a Research Scientist in the MIT.nano Immersion Lab, aims to redefine how movement skills are understood and trained in athletic disciplines. The findings, presented at the Society for Experimental Biology Annual Conference in Antwerp, Belgium, on July 8, 2025, challenge the traditional belief that motor skills are highly specific to individual sports.

Dr. Namburi and his team utilized advanced technologies such as motion capture, accelerometry, and ultrasound imaging combined with deep learning to analyze the movements of elite athletes, regional-level competitors, and untrained individuals during a simple reaching task. Their analysis revealed that elite athletes minimize inefficient movements associated with elastic tissues, such as physiological tremors, leading to a more effective use of muscle energy. According to Dr. Namburi, “World-class experts across fields minimize inefficient elastic tissue motions compared to regional-level athletes and non-experts.”

The research highlights that these inefficiencies, which can waste valuable energy during athletic performance, are not only prevalent in non-experts but also in regional-level athletes. Surprisingly, these athletes manage to achieve competitive results despite similar inefficiencies, leading to critical insights about the nature of athletic training. Dr. Namburi noted, “While it may seem intuitive that experts’ muscles move differently, we found that experts across fields share common characteristics: fewer tremors, reduced transverse muscle motions, and more effective muscle-length changes.”

This collective understanding of movement efficiency holds significant implications for training methods and injury prevention strategies in sports. As Dr. Namburi explains, “This research could benefit athletes and performance artists in developing sustainable training habits, while also reducing healthcare costs by creating a workforce less susceptible to injuries like back pain.” By identifying general motor traits shared by various disciplines, the study paves the way for more effective training programs that focus on the physiological foundations of movement skills.

The study also emphasizes the importance of feedback mechanisms in training. Dr. Namburi highlighted that with just a few minutes of tremor-based biofeedback, intermediate athletes could reduce their tremor rates to expert levels, suggesting that these traits are not fixed and can be improved through targeted training. However, he cautioned that achieving world-class efficiency through training, while beneficial, is not solely sufficient for top-tier performance. He likened the need for refined motor skills to sourcing high-quality ingredients for cooking, stating, “While premium ingredients are essential for a delicious dish, they must still be used skillfully to create an exceptional meal.”

This research contributes to a broader understanding of how movement efficiencies can be cultivated and emphasizes the potential for applying these findings beyond sports, potentially informing rehabilitation and physical therapy practices. As the field of athletic training evolves, this study serves as a pivotal reference point for future research and practice aimed at enhancing performance and minimizing injury risk across various physical activities.