High Pressure In Sports Means Mental Fatigue is a Constant Reality for Athletes
Mental fatigue induced by sports affects brain functions, especially cognitive processing ability.
This study discusses the importance of managing mental fatigue in athletes today. While the factors involved in high pressure sport, (particularly at a more competitive level) are unavoidable, techniques in the management of athletes are often employed to help offset some mental fatigue and maintain health and performance.
Currently when we look at high performance sport, athletes across the board are facing higher workload seasons, more games, more commitments associated with their sport, and less access to support networks or family and friends due to more frequent travel.
Athletes this year have faced unusual and stressful circumstances with the current pandemic and while travel may have been reduced, they face the stress and uncertainty of canceled competitions, qualifiers and reduced access to facilities and coaches. The capacity required to self motivate though such circumstances and with so much surrounding uncertainty is a large one. Many athletes find themselves feeling suspended in mid air, and the impact on performance still remains to be seen. However it is important to understand that regardless of the CAUSE of the mental fatigue, the solution is to be well prepared for it. In this case, a greater mental capacity means more capacity to handle setbacks and frustrations, as well as finding the mental and physical energy to maintain required training loads.
Regardless of the game plan over the next 12 to 18 months, it is obvious we need to prepare our athletes to face difficult circumstances and remain focused. Mental toughness and endurance can be built up with some experience, however we do not have to wait for experience to clock up over the years in order to have greater capacity for fatigue and pressure. Training the brain for fatigue is the most consistent and reliable way to prepare athletes to handle fatigue and give them the capacity to handle more and more of it, regardless of its source.
Those that can prepare their brains well will find it easier to maintain training loads, handle pressure and have the energy for extra commitments. They also find it easier to handle setbacks and recover from them faster. Mental capacity is paramount in preparing athletes today, particularly those in high performance sport now. We know how severely and negatively mental fatigue affects the brains ability to function and therefore the body’s ability to perform.
Abstract
Sports fatigue is a common mental state for athletes, due to the high pressure of competitive sports. As a tool to promote self-efficacy, sports management has been increasingly adopted to relax the mental fatigue of athletes. Based on sports psychology, this paper explores the correlation between the mental state and sports management through a survey on 37 track-and-field athletes, using the 5-point scale. Through the analysis of the survey data, it is concluded that the mental fatigue induced by sports affects the brain functions, especially the cognitive processing ability; the symptoms of mental fatigue are attributable to the fatigue of the central nerves, which is in turn caused by bodily fatigue; sports management can greatly ease the mental fatigue induced by sports activities. The research results provide a new direction for curing sports fatigue.
http://revistaclinicapsicologica.com/pdf_files/trabajos/vol_29/num_2/RACP_29_2_564_EYK4PC4L27.pdf
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