It can be all about little gains in sport.
New methods of training and tweaks to nutrition can add up to making the difference on the pitch.
One such method of training which Connacht have implemented is not physical, but mental.
The western province have been working with the DCU based 'Actualise' on 'brain training' for their players.
In his column for the Irish Independent, prop Denis Buckley tells of how he has begun to notice minor improvements.
Some of the lads have reported improved levels of focus during games and training sessions and reduced levels of anxiety on match days.
And I've noticed that things like sleep patterns and small day-to-day functions seem to have improved. I think it is having a positive effect, so there is no harm in giving it an hour a week.
The training works while the player watches a DVD. If the brain works in the optimal, desired way then the DVD will play as a reward.
The 'brain training' is conducted by a company called Actualise and studies have shown that it can help the brain of an elite athlete to learn how to work in a more efficient way.
It reads your brain waves while you're watching a movie or video game, and the action turns off and on depending on what part of your brain activates. The idea is that over time, with repeated sessions your brain can make a targeted area work as required.
I'm doing it for cognitive function which should help my decision making on the pitch. I've done about 12 sessions and they tell me the changes have been massive in my scores.
Picture credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE
