The 5 Major Brain Areas of Speed (and What They Actually Do)

When most people talk about speed, they think: Legs. Sprints. Hamstrings.

Maybe even “fast-twitch fibers.”

But if you're still trying to build speed from the ground up, you're missing where speed actually starts: the brain.

Because sprinting, reaction time, and explosive direction changes don’t start in your feet—they start in your central nervous system.

Let’s break down the 5 brain-based drivers of speed that too many performance models overlook—and why using applied neurology will unlock the missing 10% (or more) in your athlete’s development.

1. Visual System: The Brain’s GPS for Movement

What it does:
The visual system tells your brain where you are, what’s coming at you, and how fast everything is moving. It’s the GPS, the radar, and the heads-up display all rolled into one.

Why it matters for speed:
Before your body moves, your brain needs a map. If your visual system is blurry, unstable, or inaccurate, your movement quality suffers. The brain perceives threat—and holds you back.

Speed Translation:
Poor gaze stability = slower reaction time. Untrained peripheral vision = late direction changes. Visual lag = movement lag.

Try this:
Add pencil push-ups or smooth pursuit drills into warmups to improve gaze tracking and oculomotor control. Watch sprint mechanics clean up within a week.

2. Vestibular System: Your Balance and Acceleration Engine

What it does:
The vestibular system sits in your inner ear. It tells your brain if you’re moving, how fast you’re moving, and which way is up. Think of it as your internal gyroscope.

Why it matters for speed:
Speed isn’t just about going fast—it’s about staying oriented while doing so. If your vestibular system is off, your body will brace or collapse to “protect” you. That’s energy stolen from performance.

Speed Translation:
Delayed change of direction. Wobbling in sprint stance. Overuse of arms to compensate for balance.

Try this:
Do “head nods” (yes/no patterns) with sprint drills. Layer vestibular resets between explosive sets. Athletes will feel “lighter” and more grounded, fast.

3. Proprioceptive System: Your Movement Feedback Loop

What it does:
Proprioception is your sense of body position. It tells your brain where your limbs are in space—without you having to look. 

This system relies on joint and skin receptors constantly updating the brain.

Why it matters for speed:
Speed demands precision. 

The brain needs fast, clean feedback from joints and muscles. 

If it’s not getting it, it will add tension, tighten joints, and restrict movement range.

Speed Translation:
Choppy strides. Late foot contacts. Over-gripping or over-bracing through knees and hips.

Try this:
Stimulate the feet and hands pre-sprint. 

Joint compression drills, vibration tools or even skin stem (rubbing the joints with a towel - applied briefly to joint capsules) can wake up proprioception and unlock smoother acceleration mechanics.

 4. Cerebellum + Tectospinal Tract: The Speed Co-Pilots

What they do: 

•  Cerebellum fine-tunes coordination, balance, and timing. It's like a motor editor.
•  Tectospinal tract rapidly orients you to visual/auditory cues. It's your “turn toward the sound!” reflex.

Why they matter for speed:
If the cerebellum is dysregulated, athletes stumble, lose balance, or miss timing windows. If the tectospinal tract is slow, reaction time suffers.

Speed Translation:
Tripping during change of direction. Late response off the line. Delayed reaction to external cues (like the ball or opponent).

Try this:
Perform visual saccades (quick eye movements) and hand figure-8s on the same side. These cerebellar resets can clean up chaos in the nervous system—especially under stress or fatigue.

5. PMRF (Pontomedullary Reticular Formation): Your Posture & Tone Regulator

What it does:
The PMRF is a powerful brainstem area that controls posture, extensor tone, and overall muscle readiness. It’s also a huge player in pain reduction and parasympathetic calm.

Why it matters for speed:
Speed requires elastic posture. 

If your extensor tone is low or your body is “stuck in flexion,” your mechanics suffer. 

PMRF dysfunction often shows up as poor arm drive, internal rotation collapse, or stiff running.

Speed Translation:
Collapsing into the stride. Sluggish upright posture. Inability to “pop” into acceleration.

Try this:
Tongue drills, biting, or smelling through one nostril (yes, seriously) activate PMRF and can rapidly improve postural readiness. 

Test it before and after a sprint—it’s wild.

You’re Not Missing Muscle—You’re Missing Signal

Speed isn’t just about power output. It’s about how fast the brain can perceive, decide, and act—cleanly and without fear.

That’s why applied neurology changes the game:

🧠 It gives the brain better input.
⚡ It creates safer, faster output.

If you're chasing milliseconds, training the nervous system isn’t optional—it’s the next frontier.

If you want to know how we test and understand what applied neurology drills work, click this link to the free masterclass. We have included the second masterclass on how to apply neurology to your clients through our Next Level Neurology Framework. 

Want More?
We teach all of this (and more) inside the Next Level Neuro Mentorship, where coaches and therapists learn to assess, reset, and rewire the brain for faster outcomes—without guesswork.