Olympic athletes high-tech brain training ahead of games

(KYMA, KECY/ NBC News) - When it comes to athletes, we usually talk about their physical capabilities but in a competition against the best in the world, it comes down to the mental game.

If the Olympics weren't already a high-pressure situation, you can add on the challenges from pandemic precautions, disrupted routines and no fans or family allowed in the stands.

How athletes handle all of that stress can make or break their performance, so this year's games will need an extra boost of mental strength.

Lindsay Shaw is a Sports Psychophysiologist with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic committee who uses "E.E.G.," which are sensors to study athletes' brain waves during training.

Her team also analyzes data collected from Trackman, a technology that tracks an object's movement in sports such as gold and shot put.

All of this information is used to see how a change in an athlete's brain waves can change outcomes and their performances.