Are you paying the price of fatigue?
“Effect’s of fatigue can dramatically impact athletic performance”
As an athlete you are constantly monitoring all of your training input’s and adjusting them to maximise your athletic performance on game day. However there is little or no emphasis given to the most integral aspect of your performance. That is fatigue.
“Medical Definition of Fatigue:
Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency of accomplishment, usually accompanied by a feeling of weariness and tiredness. Fatigue can be acute and come on suddenly or chronic and persist.
It is well researched that fatigue impact’s physical performance…
- In conclusion, the study provides experimental evidence that mental fatigue limits exercise tolerance in humans through higher perception of effort rather than cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic mechanisms.
- Concluded that attention was affected by mental fatigue, in the form of a decrease in the ability to suppress irrelevant information. In behavioural results, this was reflected by a tendency of participants to increasingly base their response decision on irrelevant information, resulting in decreased response accuracies.
- Mental fatigue and its impact on athletes’ drive might benefit from considering a psychobiological approach.
- This study shows sustained auditory processing can elicit mental fatigue.
- The results challenge the long-standing assumption that muscle fatigue causes exhaustion during high-intensity aerobic exercise, and suggest that exercise tolerance in highly motivated subjects is ultimately limited by perception of effort.
Is sport the brain’s biggest challenge?
High performance sport is an incredibly mentally demanding activity requiring more cognitive skill’s than is often appreciated. Even the most elite are subject to faltering performance’s due to fatigue and even though anecdotal these sporting figures have suffered the effects’s of fatigue over the past few year’s.
- “Mental fatigue hamper’s McIlroy” — Fox Sport’s, 21/05/2015.
- “Manchester City are mentally tired after Sunderland draw” — The Guardian, 17/04/2014.
- “Former Barcelona & Argentina Coach — Cesar Luis Menotti believe’s Lionel Messi is fighting to overcome a case of mental burnout” — Football Espana, 16/04/2014.
- “Simona Halep has put her early exit’s at Roland Garros & Wimbledon down to mental fatigue” — The Guardian, 26/05/2015.
Using validated technology to monitor & boost athletic performance…
In order to perform consistently at a high level, athlete’s need the best possible tool’s to constantly monitor their level’s of fatigue and adapt training protocols accordingly. The following test’s are scientifically validated and are used in the realms of space exploration, military, air travel, cognitive neuroscience and the study of fatigue:
Psychomotor Vigilance Test…
What is it? The psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) is a sustained-attention, reaction-timed task that measures the speed with which subjects respond to a visual stimulus. A reaction over 500ms or a missed reaction is recorded as a lapse in attention.
Who uses it? On the International Space Station (Reaction Self Test) provides the crew members with feedback on neurobehavioral changes in vigilant attention, state stability, and impulsivity. Pilot’s, First Responder’s, Elite Military, Long distance driver’s.
How it applies to sport? It aids athletes to objectively identify when their performance capability is degraded by various fatigue-related conditions that can occur as a result of cumulative effect of training, competition and life as a professional athlete E.g., acute and chronic sleep pattern’s, personal relationship stress, media commitment’s, internal emotional stressor’s.
Mackworth Clock…
What is it? It was originally created by Norman Mackworth as an experimental simulation of long term monitoring by radar operators in the British Air Force during World War II. Utilised to establish one of the fundamental findings in the vigilance and sustained attention literature.
Who uses it? Used in the field of experimental psychology to study the effects of long term vigilance and reaction’s to change in visual stimulus. Air traffic controller’s and radar operator’s.
How it applies to sport? In the assessment of vigilance and reaction time’s of the athlete. Aid’s to objectively identify when performance capability is diminished. E.g., A goalkeeper undergoes period’s of minimal activity during a match but need’s to maintain a high level of vigilance as football is such a fast dynamic sport one lapse in concentration and focus could cost the team victory!
Visual Analogue Scale-Fatigue Severity…
What is it? The visual analog scale (VAS-F) is a validated, subjective measure for acute and chronic fatigue.
Who uses it? Recent advances in methodologies for computer-based research include the development and evaluation of visual analogue scales for use in monitoring and assessing fatigue level’s in all aspect’s of life.
How it applies to sport? Appraisal of athlete’s feeling’s of fatigue as honestly as possible. E.g., Monitoring of training volume and perception of effort and levels of exertion to adjust programming to ensure athletes aren’t overtrained OR adjustment upwards of training intensity if athlete’s perception of effort is lower than expected.
The Solution…
Synapse Neuro Performance Solutions are proud to be a world leader in harnessing the latest mobile Brain Endurance Training & Sport’s Vision technology and delivering bespoke solutions to athletes, teams & coaches as well as high performance organisations & individual’s globally. Giving athletes the ability to enhance their Brain Endurance Training & Sport’s Vision skill’s anywhere at anytime 24/7! With the most advanced analytics on the backend and a dedicated Neuro Performance Coach programming, monitoring and progressing your performance.
Contact…
For more information on Brain Endurance Training & Sport’s Vision check out www.synapseneuroperformance.com or contact via email info@synapseneuroperformance.com and schedule a call with us in order to discuss your specific requirements and get started.
