Effects of Alpha Band EEG Neurofeedback on Load-Specific Squat Performance in Competitive Judokas: The Role of Training Status

This study investigated the effects of alpha-band EEG neurofeedback on load-specific lower body strength performance in competitive judokas and examined whether training status modulates neuromuscular adaptation. Twenty-four male athletes (advanced vs. intermediate level) completed 15 neurofeedback sessions targeting the Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Index (FAAI) using real-time EEG from F3/F4 electrodes. Squat performance was assessed across five relative loads (35–100% 1RM) pre- and post-intervention. Key outcomes included ∆Reps at each intensity, EEG changes (∆FAAI, ∆F3, ∆F4), and a composite neural efficiency index (∆Reps/∆FAAI). Statistical analyses included RM-ANOVA, MANOVA, and ANCOVA with FAAI baseline as a covariate. Neither group showed significant within-group performance improvements across load conditions, and multivariate analysis revealed no significant group effect on EEG change outcomes (Wilks’ Λ = 0.930, p = 0.688). None of the individual EEG change metrics differed significantly between groups (∆FAAI, ∆F3, ∆F4; all p > 0.28). Efficiency indices likewise did not differ significantly by group (all p > 0.32), and FAAI baseline did not predict performance transfer. Despite uniform intervention exposure, cortical EEG changes did not differ significantly between experienced and Intermediate-level athletes, and squat performance remained load invariant in both groups. Because the design did not include a placebo or non-neurofeedback control condition, and given the small sample (n = 12 per group) and the non-significant multivariate effect, these findings should be regarded as preliminary and associative rather than causal. They suggest that alpha-band neurofeedback was not associated with training-status-dependent EEG changes over this protocol, and that cortical changes did not translate into measurable gains in maximal strength output under progressive loading. Further studies using placebo-controlled designs and larger samples should extend training duration and consider multimodal interventions to bridge cortical gains with functional strength improvements in elite sport contexts.