LIMITS TO SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE 2014 ASCA World Clinic Kirk Grand Performance and Exercise Psychophysiology Lab
Performance and Exercise Psychophysiology The interaction between the mind and body
Beta and Gamma ALPHA 8-13 Hz Hatfield Pres. 2013
Superior Performance Great performers are efficient within task constraints Relaxed explosiveness Superior performance happens when you have coordinated muscle movements with minimized energy expenditure, in a process of adaptation to constraints imposed by both task and environment Hatfield Pres. 2013 & (Sparrow (2000) Energetics of Human Activity, Human Kinetics).
Subjective Experience of Peak Performance No fear of failure No thinking of performance (automaticity) Total immersion in activity Narrow focus of attention Effortless performance Feeling of complete control Involuntary experience No memory of task Williams & Krane (1998)Applied Sport Psychology Mayfield
Outline What brain processes underlie superior motor performance and how can they be trained and maintained? Part 1: Underlying Processes Attention Practice and the brain Novice v. Expert Part 2: Train and Maintain Performance under pressure Economical Instruction Tips for a cool mind
Cognitive Resources and Skilled Performance Work Efficiency = = Effort Psychomotor Behavior Neural Resource Allocation A refined or simplified system is likely to result in efficient and consistent muscular performance while a noisy or complex system is likely to result in greater variability of muscle action (Hatfield & Hillman, 2001)Handbook of Sport Psychology
Attentional Resources
Extended Practice of a Motor Skill Is Associated With Reduced Metabolic Activity in M1 Picard et al. (Sept 2013) Nature Neuroscience Question: How does long-term training and the development of motor skills modify the activity of the primary motor cortex? Monkeys (n=10) were trained for 1-6 years to perform visually guided and internally generated reaching movements to a touch-sensitive monitor. Hatfield Pres. 2013
Hatfield Pres. 2013 In other words: a shorter program to get the job done
Thus, practice leading to skilled performance results in more efficient generation of neuronal activity in M1 Page 1340
Experts vs Novices BOLD response Experts require less neuronal resources compared to novices to accomplish the same task within their domain of expertise (Deeny et al. (2003) JSEP. Hatfield Pres. 2013 Novice Golfers (A) & Expert Golfers (B) during pre-shot routine - Milton et al. (2007) Neuroimage
Establishing a quiet refined cortical state Increases Efficacy / Confidence But, excess communication with motor regions promotes a traffic jam and increases ANXIETY Hatfield Pres. 2013
Hatfield Pres. 2013 Noise on the motor cortex could result in increased corticospinal outflow beyond that associated with the pure physical demands of the task This would result in recruitment of additional motor units (tension)
Expert Novice Busy brain Refined Brain Haufler et al., 2000 - Biological Psychology
What's the difference? Novice The novice is characterized as approaching a task and performing in a verbal analytical, attentiondemanding, and effortful mode with overall increased cortical arousal, non-essential cortico-cortical communication. Expert The expert approaches the task and performs with automaticity and efficient resource allocation, typically in a visuospatial mode, with overall decreased cortical arousal, refinement of cortico-cortical communication. Hatfield Pres. 2013
Hatfield Pres. 2013 Neuroscience of Coolness Attentional capacity improves Expert performance is characterized by economy, suppression of nonessential activity, and refined networking Practice result in similar brain dynamics to those above Superior performers exhibit better economy of brain in the emotional domain (less perturbed)
Outline What brain processes underlie superior motor performance and how can they be trained and maintained? Part 1: Underlying Processes Attention Practice and the brain Novice v. Expert Part 2: Train and Maintain Performance under pressure Economical Instruction Tips for a cool mind
Fenz (1975) Physiology under pressure
Hatfield Pres. 2013 Brain activation during practice and competition Individual Competition The change in brain dynamics between Practice and Competition is similar to the difference between the skilled performer and a novice
Under Pressure People try to hard Mental stress promotes a reversion from expert-like to novice-like neuro-cognitive state By excessively trying to control their movement people perform the task as if they are beginners and their brains resemble that of a novice (lots of non-essential activation and networking).
Team Environment Study performed using EEG to look at how teammates can affect cognitive performance Miller et al, 2013
Team Environment Alone Cooperative Dyad Hatfield Pres. 2013 = Attention Reserve Under Challenge
Mindfulness Most commonly defined as the state of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present. N. Thera (1972) called mindfulness the clear and singleminded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception Enables the performer to keep their mind from running
Mind Wandering Reduction Mrazek et al, 2012
Mind Wandering Reduction The Breath Begin by gently moving your attention onto the process of breathing. Simply observe each breath as it happens, whether you focus on the rise and fall of your chest or abdomen, or on the sensation of the breath at the nostrils. Really feel what it is like to breath, without feeling the need to alter your breath, just observing it as it happens. As you engage in this exercise you may find that your mind wanders, caught by thoughts or by noises in the room, or bodily sensations. When you notice that this happens, know that this is okay and simply notice the distraction but gently bring your attention back to the breath.
Mind Wandering Reduction
Focus of attention With an external focus of attention participants generated similar amounts of force with less muscle activation Simply verbally prompting subjects to internally focus on their leg muscles, rather than on the platform they were pushing against, increased error in this isometric force production task and led to significantly greater co-contraction of the soleus and tibialis anterior Lohes et al, 2011
Internal v. External focus of attention How you instruct to the athlete is extremely important! On your last lap focus on pushing as much water behind you as possible Tip of the fin towards the surface Push the paddle as hard as you can Point the snorkel towards the wall Every time you take a stroke reach for the wall Lohes et al, 2011
Tips for a COOL mind End of workout sets Practice perfection under Stress! Video feedback/mirrors Get out swims (under a time but with a film review) Strategic season plan Develop Teeth Athlete trust. Person first, athlete second
Cool Tips continued Review championship meet site (a lot!) No breath swimming (economy) Taper, routine, no changes, Fun! Be the best you can be; not a time Great team environment Say their name, something positive, and something to work on to each swimmer everyday Self efficacy The Art of coaching
X-Factor! The things we cant explain
Thank you! Eddie Reese Brett Hawke Kris Kirchner Phil Cole Kris Kubik Bryan PK Karkoska John Leonard Dr. Joel Stager Dr. Matt Miller My parents! Phil Cole