Women In Training :: The Brain Is A Key Player in Your Workout Strategy

Much of the research on endurance performance over the years has focused on the physiological responses of the body to fatigue over long periods of exertion. Yet, as any woman runner knows, there’s a huge piece of distance running and racing that is purely mental. In other words, that sense of sudden fatigue you feel in the middle of your race may truly be “all in your head.”

In a fascinating study performed in Britain at Bangor University, researchers set out to prove the hypothesis that mental fatigue negatively affects physical performance in humans. Subjects were divided into two groups. Both groups were to complete a high-intensity cycling exercise, however one group was given a challenging but sedentary 90-minute computer test before hand. The other group watched an “emotionally neutral” set of documentaries for that same 90 minutes.

Turns out, that while the physiological responses to the cycling did not differ between the two groups, the perception of physical effort was much higher in the mentally fatigued group – the ones who did the computer test beforehand. That perception of physical fatigue translated into those study subjects reaching their maximum level of perceived exertion – and point at which they gave up - much sooner.

In a summary of their finding, the Bangor researchers concluded, “Therefore the brain gave up and subsequently sent signals to the body to also cease effort, event though the body showed no physical signs of complete exhaustion.”

We all know the signs and causes of fatigue right? Decrease in performance is a sign of physical fatigue and overwork – less oxygen reaches the muscles leading to a build up of lactic acid and boom…tired legs, the dreaded wall. But how then do you explain those times when you feel that you have nothing left and yet are able to surge into a rally during the last mile of a marathon? Is it actually possible to trick the brain to make the body go faster and father?

Tim Noakes, author of  The Lore of Running suggests, “If you want to be competitive, you have to learn how to deal with the discomfort. A lot of heavy, good physical training is really about training the brain to cope with discomfort.”

Still don’t believe? In another study conducted at the University of Birmingham in England researchers showed that cyclists who swished a carbohydrate drink containing either glucose or maltodextrin disguised with an artificial sweetener during a workout were able to ride harder and longer than those who swished water disguised with an artificial sweetener. This was true despite the fact that none of the participants actually swallowed either of the liquids, (no actual physical affect was possible), and that the study was conducted “blind,” (the subjects did not know if they were swishing the carbohydrate solution or plain water). In addition, the two groups rated the level of difficulty to be the same, even though the carbohydrate drink group actually worked harder.

A functional MRI demonstrated that certain areas of the brain lit up when the carbohydrate drink was swished, those areas being connected to emotion, motivation, and reward. It was as if the carbohydrate-sensitive receptors in the mouth communicated with the brain, which then sent a signal to the body to tell it that it would be getting more calories and thus could work harder, regardless of the fact that no calories were actually consumed. This demonstrated that it is possible to trick the brain to allow the body to go further and faster.

So, how does one “re-train the brain?”

1.     Make Your Training a Priority

This is particularly challenging for women runners who have the pressure of job, family, and social responsibilities competing constantly for their time. The important thing to get here is that you must see running as a necessity and not a luxury. That means that in some cases, other things must be (at least temporarily) back-burnered to accommodate your training schedule. Easier to say than do, but absolutely necessary. Keep your “training appointments” with yourself as steadfastly as you keep your business appointments and pick your kids up from school.

2.     Maintaining the Routine

Once you’ve made training a priority in your life, maintaining a regular training schedule is key to helping combat the un-motivating messages your brain may throw at you. When running becomes simply “what you do,” distractions are easier to eliminate. According to Sheri Piers, 11^th place Boston finisher, wife, mother and nurse logging 120+ miles/week, “It becomes something you have to get done. The alarm goes off and you get up. I just do it. It’s part of a routine. It doesn’t matter if its 20 degrees below zero – I’m going for a run. It’s just the way it is – it’s not even a question.”

3.     Practice m’Girl, Practice

Doing this is not easy and no one simply falls effortlessly into this level of discipline. But the good news is, it does get easier over time. You become better able to cope with the stress in your life, and your training will increase your belief in yourself and your confidence in what is truly possible for you to accomplish. If you believe you can do it, you just do it.

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