The vagus nerve: a cornerstone for mental health and performance optimization in recreation and elite sports

Decades of physiological and psychological research into human performance and wellness have established a critical role for vagus nerve signaling in peak physical and cognitive performance. We outline models and perspectives that have emerged through neuroscience and psychophysiology studies to elucidate how the vagus nerve governs human performance through its influence on central nervous system functions and autonomic nervous system activity. These functions include the monitoring and regulation of cardio-respiratory activity, emotional responses, inflammation and physical recovery, cognitive control, stress resilience, and team cohesion. We briefly review some useful interventions such as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation, heart-rate variability biofeedback, and controlled breathing as accessible tools for enhancing vagal tone, improving executive functioning under pressure, and mitigating fatigue and burnout. We describe how these approaches and their biological underpinnings are rooted by psychological models like the Yerkes-Dodson law and Polyvagal theory to contextualize their effects on athletic performance. These perspectives suppor recent shifts in sports science toward integrating vagal-centered approaches as scalable, evidence-based strategies that can enhance human performance and wellness.