May 17, 2026, 3:54 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
The so-called “Brain Endurance Training” (BET) was specifically developed for elite athletes. It aims to simultaneously improve physical and cognitive performance. The method is backed by years of scientific research, which is now increasingly being applied to healthy aging. FITBOOK delves deeper into the topic and consulted an expert.
Brain Endurance Training Boosts Mental and Physical Performance
“Brain Endurance Training” (BET) can be translated as “brain endurance training.” Originally developed for elite athletes, the method combines physical exertion with cognitive tasks to enhance both athletic and mental performance. The goal is to train the brain to better cope with fatigue.1
It is well established that physical training can positively affect brain function. However, BET takes it a step further: In addition to athletic exercises, special cognitive tasks are used, such as reaction tests or exercises for quickly recognizing and categorizing colors and shapes. Memory, concentration, and problem-solving tasks are also included.
Sports scientist and fitness coach Markus Bremen explains to FITBOOK: “The goal of BET is to train under mental pre-fatigue. The cognitive task exhausts the prefrontal cortex–the region responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and perception of effort. Those who then train physically are explicitly training the ability to perform even when the brain already feels strained.”
What a BET Session Looks Like
In a BET session, the cognitive part comes before the physical part. It is usually short and intense, requiring participants to act under pressure and inducing a state of mental fatigue. The subsequent physical exertion is intended to simultaneously improve cognitive and physical performance.
Bremen explains what a BET session might look like: first, 20 minutes of cognitive tasks on a laptop, directly followed by 30 to 40 minutes of moderate endurance training–such as running or cycling at 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate. The key is to start physical training when the brain is already fatigued.
Why Mental Fatigue Impairs Performance
The topic of mental fatigue in athletes has been a focus of research for some time.2 Unlike physical exhaustion (such as muscle fatigue), which is relatively easy to recognize and harder to ignore, mental fatigue often goes unnoticed. Yet, it is no less serious.
Mental fatigue can have various effects: It can influence pain perception and lead to lack of concentration and inattentiveness, which in turn can cause errors and increase the risk of injury. Some affected individuals even lose their enjoyment of sports as a result.
BET addresses this issue: The goal is to train the brain to better handle fatigue and increase mental resilience–ultimately aiming to enable consistently higher athletic performance.
How BET Can Help Prevent Injuries
According to Bremen, mental fatigue has been shown to impair reaction time, coordination, and movement quality. Those who train under cognitive load and learn to maintain technique and body awareness simultaneously train neuromuscular robustness. This ability is crucial, especially in everyday life and competition–when concentration wanes and errors become more frequent. “BET trains you to remain conscious and controlled in a state of fatigue, rather than falling into automatisms that lead to misloads,” he adds.
Studies Confirm Effect on Athletes
The effect of BET on athletes is considered proven–both in terms of cognitive and physical abilities. One study showed, for example, that the performance of padel players improved under mental fatigue through BET.3 According to the study results, the strokes of participants who had previously completed BET were faster and more precise than those of the control group.
In another study, researchers found that endurance performance in the BET group improved significantly more compared to the control group.4 Additionally, a higher oxygen content was measured in the prefrontal cortex of BET group participants after training. This area of the brain is responsible for central cognitive functions such as decision-making, working memory, and attention.
A meta-analysis of several studies also shows that BET can improve both endurance performance and cognitive abilities. Especially under fatigue, trainees benefit from increased performance, while reaction time and attention increase. BET also enhances resistance to mental fatigue. Evidence suggests that untrained individuals benefit the most, and longer training periods are particularly effective.5
Also interesting: The best diet for faster recovery after training
Expert Shows Simple Breathing Exercise to Boost Performance
Long-Term Effects of COVID-19: Recovered Patients Struggle to Differentiate Certain Memories
Older Adults and Recreational Athletes Also Benefit from BET
The positive effects of BET are apparently not limited to (elite) athletes. In a recent pilot study, researchers examined the method in older adults.6 The study involved 24 generally healthy women aged 65 to 78 who were not very active in their daily lives. They were divided into two groups that trained three times a week over eight weeks. The sessions consisted of 20 minutes of strength and 25 minutes of endurance training. Only one of the groups–the so-called BET group–also completed a 20-minute cognitive part.
The evaluation showed: In the BET group, cognitive performance improved by about 7.8 percent, while in the comparison group it improved by only 4.5 percent. The difference in physical performance was similarly pronounced: It increased by nearly 30 percent in the BET group, compared to 22.4 percent in the pure training group.
Fitness coach Bremen also emphasizes that BET is by no means only suitable for competitive athletes; recreational athletes can benefit as well. “Especially for people who are mentally stressed in their jobs, such as executives, shift workers, or parents of young children, BET can be highly relevant. They often train in a state of mental fatigue, often after long workdays. BET turns this circumstance into a training principle,” he says.
How Often You Should Do BET
Research suggests that consistency is more important than training volume. “Two to three BET sessions per week over a period of at least six to eight weeks show measurable effects on mental fatigue resistance and endurance performance,” says fitness coach Bremen. He also mentions that the cognitive pre-load should last about 20 to 30 minutes. Longer is not necessarily better, as the goal is not maximum mental exhaustion at all costs, but targeted stress on a specific system. Progressive increase is also important: Those who want to start BET should gradually increase the intensity of cognitive tasks–similar to physical training.