About Careers Internship MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Study Says Brain can be Tricked into Improving Athletes’ Performance

by Kathy Jones on May 31, 2014 at 4:24 PM
 Study Says Brain can be Tricked into Improving Athletes’ Performance

Researchers at Indiana University revealed that the brain could be tricked into improving an athlete's performance after they found that a little deception was able to boost the performance of cyclists in their 4-kilometer time trial even though they realized that they had been tricked.

The findings support the idea that the brain plays a powerful role in how hard athletes push their bodies.

Advertisement

"The idea is that there's some sort of governor in your brain that regulates exercise intensity so you don't overheat, or run out of gas, so to speak," said Ren-Jay Shei, a doctoral student in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. "In this case, the governor was reset to a higher upper limit, allowing for improved performance."

The findings were discussed Thursday during the behavioral aspects of sport session at the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Advertisement

For the study, 14 trained, competitive male cyclists participated in four time trials. For each session, they rode cycle ergometers, which are stationary bikes that measure such variables as speed and power output and display the readings on computer monitors on the handlebars.

The first time trial was designed to familiarize the cyclists with the procedures. The second was considered the baseline session. In the third and fourth, two avatars and their corresponding stats appeared side by side on the computer monitors. In the session involving deception, the stats for the avatar on the right were programmed to be 102 percent of the baseline performance of the cyclist, yet the cyclist was told the stats were based on his actual baseline results.

Not only did most of the cyclists improve during the deception round, but the group improved by an average of 2.1 percent over baseline even when they knew they had been tricked.

"This helps us understand how the body protects itself during exercise," Shei said.

Co-authors include Robert F. Chapman, John S. Raglin and Timothy D. Mickleborough, all in the Department of Kinesiology in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington; and Kevin G. Thompson, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.



Source: Newswise
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest General Health News

US Woman Loses All Limbs in Fish-Related Bacterial Outbreak
In a tragic incident, a woman in the US experienced the loss of all her limbs as a result of a bacterial outbreak linked to the consumption of contaminated fish.
NIH Launches the First In-Human Universal Flu Vaccine Trial
FluMos-v2, a unique universal influenza vaccine candidate, undergoing a phase 1 trial at NIH, increases recipients' immunity against many influenza viruses.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative Assesses Vaccination Strategies in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the polio campaign focuses on more than 270,000 children under the age of five years, residing in areas with insufficient vaccine coverage.
Diagnostic Errors: The Rocky Road to Life-threatening Health Complications
Dangers of Wrong Diagnosis: Diagnostic errors in healthcare can increase the risk of permanent disabilities and deaths.
Strategies To Maintain Work-Life Balance In The Digital Age
Due to our constant connectivity and the ability to be accessible at all times, it has become challenging to separate from work and fully participate in personal life.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
MediBotMediBot
Greetings! How can I assist you?MediBot
×

Study Says Brain can be Tricked into Improving Athletes’ Performance Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests