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map For the Olympian and for the Little
Leaguer, the adage, ``Strong minds make strong bodies,'' has never been truer, according
to sports psychologists.
In a presentation at the 51st Annual Convention of the
California Psychological Association in Pasadena, Calif., those in the know say reaching
peak athletic performance requires not only physical strength and control but also sharp
mental skills, such as concentration, stress management and visualization.
Richard Suinn of Colorado State University notes the influx
of sports psychology into training programs of U.S. National Team members in such sports
as track and field.
For peak performance, he recommends seven mind skills: relaxation, stress management, thought control, self-regulation,
visualization, concentration and programming for competition.
Relaxation has been linked to injury prevention since injuries are more
likely to occur where there is muscle tension, he points out. For endurance events, the
ability to relax can conserve energy -- and bring in that trophy.
A typical relaxation technique is called Jacobsen deep muscle relaxation. It involves tensing,
then relaxing each of several muscle groups. This 45-minute routine is done daily for a
week. The technique can be enhanced with deep breathing, repeated several times after the
last muscle group is relaxed.
The athlete is thus conditioned to use the deep breath as a
trigger for the body to relax at a future sporting event.
There is also a breathing
technique aimed at ``centering.''
In centering, the athlete stands, eyes closed, then inhales and exhales using the stomach
wall.
Says Suinn, ``Athletes should routinely use the deep breath
or the centering during training before their events.''
Suinn recommends that athletes keep logs of stress
situations, such as during warmups or following a poor first throw. The log should include
such reactions as muscle tightness or feeling ``irritated.''
Stress can be relieved with anxiety management training, in
which the athlete is taught relaxation, then confronted with a stressful situation, such
as waiting for the starting gun. The athlete relaxes, visualizes a scene down to the
minutest detail, and permits the stress reaction to build. While still in the scene, the
athlete relaxes through the deep breath or centered breathing.
While all athletes experience negative thoughts, Suinn says,
``the difference between a successful and unsuccessful athlete is in what the athlete does
with these thoughts.''
The winner uses the negative thoughts as information on how
to adjust his performance; the loser is more likely to wallow
in the negativity.
Self-regulation means recognizing the level of body
activation needed for peak performance.
Says Suinn, ``Being too activated will mean being jumpy, and
smooth timing can be affected. Being underactivated will mean not being up to par.''
The athlete should use the logs to identify the optimal
arousal level. One way is to measure the heart rate. Another is to rate one's self subjectively: ``On a scale of 0-100, where
do I stand?''
Visualization is probably the best known technique. Athletes
such as golfer Jack Nicklaus, skier Jean-Claude Killy, jumper Dwight Stones and tennis
player Chris Evert-Lloyd all use imagery as part of their preparation.
Says Suinn, ``The major difference in our program is the systematic nature of the training and
applications of visualization.''
In addition to enhancing physical performance, visualization
can be used to practice all the other psychological skills.
In learning to concentrate, an athlete needs anchors. For
exanple, a discus thrower who gets distracted might focus his attention by first
thoroughly feeling the texture of the discus with his
fingertips.
Once these psychological skills are learned and
strengthened, Suinn says, they need to be incorporated into the overall program of
preparing for competition.
(Written by UPI Science Writer Lidia Wasowicz in San
Francisco)PASADENA, Calif., March 26 (UPI) |
