Tuesday(?) Training Tip #22: “Some What If’s” (Brought to you by Gold Coast Performance Psychology.) Food for thought, or debate, perhaps . . . What if . . . having a discussion (while riding) narrowed the attentional focus of your field of vision, from roughly 120 degrees down to less than 90 degrees? What if multi-tasking (e.g. eating while riding) increased your reaction time, from 250 milliseconds to 375 milliseconds? What if negative self-talk (judgement, criticism, etc) activated your parasympathetic nervous system . . . your body’s “brakes” . . . and decreased your performance? What if the brain of a teenage cyclist had an over-developed “risk-taking” centre, and an under-developed “decision-making” centre? What if regular, strenuous exercise resulted in increased levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine (the brain’s “feel good” chemicals)? What if the most significant effect of many ergonomic aids (sports supplements, gels, bars, etc) was simply a placebo effect on your brain? What if the way you process every new event (a ride, a race, a dangerous or tricky corner) was more influenced by memories than by reality? What if your perception of pain or suffering could be altered, by changing the focus of your attention? What if mentally rehearsing an action (i.e. imagining it) resulted in similar muscular adaptations to the actual physical practice of that action? What if as little as 2% dehydration (1 litre of fluid loss during exercise) led to impairments in cognitive function, spatial awareness, response-time, motor coordination, etc? What if . . . the concept of “neuroplasticity” suggested we could learn new things at any age, overcome any habits, break through (almost) any barriers, and learn to control any thoughts or feelings (such as a lifetime of anxiety)? There are a lot more interesting things about the brain that have relevance for athletes . . . but that’s probably enough for now.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 03:51:12 +0000
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