What drives our decision on how hard to push ourselves during prolonged exercise - and when to quit? Former professional triathlete Andreas Venhorst, a medical doctor, has a holistic approach that he is testing on competitive cyclists and runners (see below).
"It's not just mind over matter or vice versa: psychophysiological processes are linked," said the German researcher, who is working with Tim Noakes at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town.
"How we think about things can affect our physiology."
Venhorst has come up with a unique framework, said Noakes. "He has brought together an understanding of all elements ... If everyone has the same pace, the person who wins is one who remains very positive and doesn't have a desire to quit. His model shows how that works."Examples are Comrades and Two Oceans winner, Caroline Wöstmann, and ultratrail-runner Ryan Sandes.
COMRADES? PIECE OF CAKE
Wöstmann didn't run much until she took a New Year's resolution to lose weight after her first daughter was born. Seven years later she won the Comrades.
Noakes said: "When Wöstmann broke nine hours in the Comrades, she thought she'd try for silver. Then gold, then she wins. She exudes the same enthusiasm that Bruce Fordyce had."
Venhorst said that during physical exertion two parts of our brain can be in conflict: the limbic system, which has a major role in emotions, and our prefrontal brain.
"When the limbic system starts complaining about fatigue, pain and exhaustion, the cognitive side of our brains can temporarily counter with reasons and volition (read willpower) to endure," said Venhorst.
Sore muscles, cramping, dehydration and the like send messages through the limbic system urging us just to quit. "When our faster and stronger limbic system demands attention, most athletes quickly have to give in to the urge to slow down," Venhorst said.Sports psychologist Clinton Gähwiler said a person's quitting threshold depended on what sport meant to them.
"Someone who runs for the social aspect and has a solid sense of worth outside of running might have less reason to tolerate pain than someone who derives a strong sense of identity and worth from their running," he said.
In two studies Venhorst found that the strain athletes felt - both physical and mental - triggered an "action crisis", a conflict between carrying on or stopping.But, to a degree, humans can override their limbic demands. "We have the capacity to temporarily overcome the urge to slow down, not to follow that chat but deal with it," he said. "Ultimately, you will have to learn to deal with this inner dialogue, if you want to break your personal best or a world record."
BEAUTIFUL AGONY
Sandes has proved in countless races he can overcome fatigue and suffering. "I embrace the pain and suffering. It is temporary, and I have chosen to be there. It is easier to focus on the positive because I run in beautiful areas," he said.
"As soon as my mind starts to slip into negativity, physically I start to lose it. To me, living with disappointment is more painful than pushing extremely hard and giving it all."
Typically, only about 1% to 2% of competitors quit in response to strain and discomfort while most lower their goals, said Venhorst.
"But there are critical physiological limits we can't override, or we could run ourselves to death. The elusive performance factor between the winner and the runner-up is likely the ability to better deal with this inner conflict.
"But a good mindset remains a modifier: it doesn't make a racehorse out of a donkey."WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS
RUNNERS TRIAL
11 men and 11 women joined a trial in which they suffered mild exercise-induced muscle damage, metabolic strain and endocrinological stress - and then had to run hard for 20km.
Their muscle fibres, which were stiff, sore and tired, put them under increased physiological distress.
Their levels of stress and performance were measured in two time trials, before and after the damage.
The physical strain (marked by raised levels of the stress hormone cortisol, among other indicators) and the unpleasantness, led to an "action crisis" and a measurable distress response in their physiology.
This was like flicking a body switch, as blood samples showed. They then partly disengaged from goals, altering their pacing and performance.
CYCLISTS TRIAL
In another experiment 23 cyclists took part in head-to-head competition time trials in which they raced in pairs, against very closely matched competitors, over 70km - putting them under psychological distress. They were cycling in a lab shoulder-to-shoulder, with split screens in which they could watch one another, with scientists taking blood samples.
Venhorst said everything translated into how good or bad they felt. Falling behind led to a deteriorating mindset which exacerbated cortisol concentrations, and this in turn predicted a decrease in performance.
The opposite was observed in winners pulling ahead...