Could there be energy hidden within the human body?
Ann Gill
Contributor
What if you knew you had energy hidden inside your body and could use it to your full advantage? According to research from Northumbria University, deceiving the brain can lead to an improvement of up to five per cent in sporting performance.
In a research project, trained cyclists were asked to race against an avatar on a computer screen which they believed was moving at the rate of the cyclist’s personal best. However, the avatar was actually going at a speed one per cent faster than the cyclist’s fastest time.
Despite this, the cyclists—who could also see themselves as an avatar cycling the virtual course—were able to match their opponent, going faster than they ever had before. Researchers believe this is because there is a reserve of energy production that can be tapped into, even in well-trained athletes.
In order to avoid injury and damage, the mind anticipates the end of a workout session to set an initial pace while training. Sensory receptors—which monitor the body’s responses—feed this information back to the brain. This reaction allows the body to control its resources to last long enough until the end of the exercise to avoid damage.
“We feel that this system is conservative and even in well-trained individuals (who have a well-developed pacing template) there is a
reserve of energy production which can be utilized to further enhance performance,” says Professor Kevin Thompson, who carried out the research along
with PhD student Mark Stone.
This energy can release a performance improvement of between two and five per cent in terms of the average power output.
“At elite-level sport, even an increase of one per cent in average speed can make the difference between somebody being placed in a race or not,” adds Thompson.
Competition can help release this reserve of energy. Adding a competitive opponent to this study was only ineffective when the participant was aware that their opponent was exercising at a power output two to five per cent greater.
“Despite the internal feedback to the brain being heightened by the extra power output being produced,” Thompson says, “the participants still believed it was possible to beat their opponent.”
If that little deception in the brain can help enhance performance, not knowing about the hidden strength your opponent possesses may be to your advantage. Blind competition can be a motivator, and help you break the fitness barriers you face. Be sure to consult a certified fitness trainer, and doctor before making any changes to your workout routine and taking on any physical challenges to avoid injury.
