Brain Drain

It is important to remember that the brain is connected to all the systems of the body.  You can create a physiological reaction just by thinking about it. If a person is having a bad day, consumed with thoughts of unresolved issues, the neurons in the brain turn on, and depending on the stressor duration, will elicit a central nervous system response, causing a hormone depletion.  Also, when the neurons are turned on for too long brain glucose depletes rapidly.  During a stress response the limbic system becomes heightened. The Amygdala, which is responsible for controlling temperament and emotions, begins to warm up. Respiration rate and heart rate increase to help deliver more oxygen to the brain to try and help cool down the Amygdala. This cardiorespiratory process consumes blood sugar. When blood sugar levels drop skeletal muscle contractibility becomes weaker.  Therefore, physical performance is hindered.
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We have all experienced this type of depletive state while playing a sport or in an exercise training session. During a sport as the tension and pressure of the game mount and you are playing hard, anxiety could begin to set in and alter your performance.  We have seen this many times in professional sports, especially golf.  The more pressure the golfer has on him, making a putt worth 1 million dollars, or making the final drive on a playoff hole, the more anxiety they produce. When you watch a golfer on television they appear to be cool and collected. But in actuality many of those guys are going through an emotional roller coaster inside.  What makes a golfer so successful is their ability to control their own physiology as the pressure mounts.  Once the golfer succumbs to their fears and anxieties, their amygdala heats up and the physiological reaction develops. Hormones are secreted, blood sugar levels drop and blood is shunted from the extremities.  The blood vessels constrict in the muscles, making them weaker.  Performance is then affected.  This also occurs to tennis players who are battling through an intense match. As the end of the match gets closer the player who is losing begins to get anxious about losing. If they don't control their emotions they will not be able to win the match.  What makes one athlete excel more than another athlete is their ability to control their emotions during the event.  Even though one athlete might have  greater physical attributes doesn't mean that they are going to be powerful in the game.  It all comes down to emotional control and physiological control.
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There have been many times when I have been influenced by life's stressors.  During stressful times I notice that if I am not totally focusing on the exercise I increase my chance of injury. One day I feel strong and have a great pump going on in the muscle, the next day I could be distracted and feel weak and unable to lift the same amount of weight.  When this weakness occurs I realize that my thoughts are influencing my training.  One time I didn't pay attention to the warning signs and I tried to perform a 500 pound squat, which I performed earlier in the week without a problem. As I was in the hole I thought of a bill that I forgot to pay. Just that single thought provoked a rapid stress reaction. My heart increased and I could feel a surge of norepinephrine secreting in my body which caused the blood to leave my extremities. I lost total focus on the lift and became weak.  I could stand back up and I almost broke my back. Once the blood left the extremities, my rectus femoris muscles couldn't withstand the heavy weight, so the smaller muscles, Iliopsoas tried to help with the load. The iliopsoas is an inferior muscle group for lifting a tremendous amount of weight, needless to say, I strained both iliopsoas muscles, leaving me unable to stand up erectly.  I learned a tough lesson.
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Now when I am stressed out or don't feel that I am 100% focused on the exercise, I will lighten the load and try to control my physiology through breathing techniques.
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The brain is a powerful system that controls everything the body does, it can change physiological conditions within the body in an instant.  The key to success in sports is the ability to avoid brain drain as much as possible.  Also, when you are training with weights it is important to stay focused and try keep the negative thoughts out.  It is amazing how negative thinking can weaken the contraction of the muscle. Often times a person will begin to struggle on a set and the first thought that comes to mind is that this weight is too heavy and beginning to be a struggle, ultimately causing the person to return the weight to the bar..  When the negative thoughts come try to stay positive and push through the struggle, even if it is for one or two more reps.
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The brain is the control center of the body. If you can learn to control the brain you will then be able to make getter gains.  Focus on the task at hand and try to avoid getting bogged down with negative thoughts. Negative thoughts will weaken you.
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tags: daryl conant, ron kosloff, vince gironda, miami heat, boston bruins