This forum is archived information and is no longer active.

Your Brain Doesn't Know When To Really Stop

Started by Nash, June 5, 2014 · 10 Replies · 510 Views

Nash

Was rereading a book of mine last night and ran through the excerpt below. Very relevant to us.

 

"Noakes, with several colleagues, began to review evidence of what happens to endurance athletes under extreme conditions. They found no evidence for physiological failure happening within the muscles; instead, it appeared that the brain was telling the muscles to stop. The brain, sensing an increased heart rate and rapidly depleting energy supply, literally puts the brakes on the body. At the same time, the brain creates an overwhelming feeling of fatigue that has little to do with the muscles’ capacity to keep working. As Noakes puts it, “Fatigue should no longer be considered a physical event but rather a sensation or emotion.” Most of us interpret exhaustion as an objective indicator that we cannot continue. This theory says it is just a feeling generated by the brain to motivate us to stop, in much the same way that the..."

LateStarter@46

Somehow my bank of knowledge diminished with that and I feel worse off (Edit: i.e more confused) than I was before reading it  :angry: 

:P

Murray Truelove

Nice! I think that goes well with the while Gymnastic Bodies attitude. What's the book? I think I recognise the quote.

Jon Douglas

Heh. Sifu used to say this too, when we were complaining. 'Your brain is not in possession of all the facts.'

Nash
Jon Douglas said:

Heh. Sifu used to say this too, when we were complaining. 'Your brain is not in possession of all the facts.'

 

That's a good one.

Alvaro

I´ve noticed this while slowly going down and failing at ABH, you seem depleted, but if you say yourself UP, you are able to go do it again like if the depletion wasn't there. Well at least for a few seconds.. :icon_rolleyes:

Jennifer

Thanks for that!

I'm reading 'The inner game of tennis'

 

I'm out of "likes" -- I love this!

 

Heh. Sifu used to say this too, when we were complaining. 'Your brain is not in possession of all the facts.'

 

 

Jay B.

Interesting. For several months now I found that if I told myself (as a set got harder) that my body is capable of doing more, it's just a physical sensation, that I could usually crank out 3-5 extra reps. Then I start shaking very badly and my form goes, so that's when I actually stop.

El Chino
Jay B. said:

Interesting. For several months now I found that if I told myself (as a set got harder) that my body is capable of doing more, it's just a physical sensation, that I could usually crank out 3-5 extra reps. Then I start shaking very badly and my form goes, so that's when I actually stop.

Yup. I discovered this also and actually managed to master a couple of PE1s by doing this. Otherwise I might still be on them!