It’s one of the eternal questions about aging: At what age do we reach our peak? Of course, the definition of “peak” differs for everyone, but our cognitive motor performance (the fancy name for how long it takes your brain to react to something) reaches its apex around age 24, a study proved by testing video game skills. “After around 24 years of age, players show slowing in a measure of cognitive speed that is known to be important for performance,” explains lead author of the study Joe Thompson. “This cognitive performance decline is present even at higher levels of skill.” The older players still manged to succeed with their (slower) brains – they played the video games with simpler, more efficient strategies.

MORE: Study: Do We Peak at Age 24?