9 juil. 2012

Physiology of the mind


This is a subject for advanced coaching.  It is not easy to believe what you read. 

Nicholas Romanov told me once that there was belief in Russia that “fighters were born.”  I told him that this was a subject for research and we needed to implement ways to help our triathletes to make them fighters.  The discussion about “the chicken and the egg,” started because we could blame our triathletes for not fighting enough and losing for the very same reason.  We blame the excuses given by our triathletes, but there is something similar observed in patients with Panic Attacks disorder, School Phobia and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.  These patients do not know, at the beginning, what is stressing them.  You should know that these disorders related to fear/anxiety have multiples explanations, depending on our cultural-educational-intellectual background and we do not have a solid knowledge except for the last physiological pathway.  Just before the adrenergic last consequence or last step of the pathway.  Let´s see Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_coeruleus

In stress
The locus coeruleus is responsible for mediating many of the sympathetic effects during stress. The locus coeruleus is activated by stress, and will respond by increasing norepinephrine secretion, which in turn will alter cognitive function (through the prefrontal cortex), increase motivation (through nucleus accumbens), activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and increase the sympathetic discharge/inhibit parasympathetic tone (through the brainstem). Specific to the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis, norepinephrine will stimulate the secretion of corticotropin-releasing factor from the hypothalamus, which induces adrenocorticotropic hormone release from the anterior pituitary and subsequent cortisol synthesis in the adrenal glands. Norepinephrine released from locus coeruleus will feedback to inhibit its production, and corticotropin-releasing hormone will feedback to inhibit its production, while positively feeding to the locus coeruleus to increase norepinephrine production.[5]
We have seen athletes freezing before a competition or before the final 400 meters; vomiting in the middle of the competition; having diarrhea before or during the competition.  These are called stress related reactions.  You can blame it on the competition itself or think about others ways of solving the future situation.  Because it will happen again and we should know how to proceed!  I CALL THIS ADVANCED COACHING.
A)  We have to recognize that stress is unbearable.
The what, where, how related to stress should be answered to have a combat plan.
B)  Without the recognition of stress related failure we cannot do much about the failure.  The majority of our athletes suffer from stress related failures and we should know how to proceed to avoid future failures.
C)  Stress related failures are ingrained in the way we face life.  It is also related to the way we grew up and our environment.
D)  Guillermo Echeverría, the only Mexican who held a world record in 1,500 meters freestyle swimming showed signs of stress related failure before the competition at the Mexico City Olympics according to his coach.  He was frozen to the point of not shaving his legs a day before the competition.

16:28.1             Guillermo Echevarria    Mexico     Jul 7, 1968         Santa Clara Invitational        Santa Clara, United States
E)   Whitfield lost against Frodeno at Beijing for the very same reason.
F)   My patients with panic disorders need a psycho-education in order for them to have the possibility of managing stress related symptoms.  Think about what you do for your athlete and see if it is enough.  It will never be enough to create a champion.

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