For many people, the working day is not very active and includes only mental work and, in the best case, a walk to the kitchen or the store. However, by the evening, strength is running out, and training is difficult. The fact is that mental stress can also affect sports results, just like physical stress.
What sports indicators suffer from mental stress
Immediately, several experiments confirmed that mental stress can reduce the performance of various sports.
Thus, in two studies, after long-term solving tasks that require concentration, people ran distances of 3 and 5 km slower by 2-5%. In another, football players performed 16% worse in the task with short fast runs of 20 m, and also hit the ball less accurately.
And in a systematic review, 73 studies found that even 30 minutes of mental activity negatively affects aerobic performance—the ability to work at low intensity for long periods of time.
Mental fatigue reduces performance in endurance sports, reduces the time to fatigue, and makes you perceive the load as harder.
In some experiments, participants' heart rate, blood pressure and muscle contraction were measured, but no difference was observed between those who exercised after mental exertion and those who were full of strength. In other words, sports performance did not decrease due to physical changes.
Scientists have suggested that the level of perceived perception is to blame for everything - how hard the chosen load feels. So, in one experiment, participants were asked to pedal an exercise bike first with a low intensity, and then with all their might. At the same time, they did not give specific power instructions - they asked to be guided by feelings.
As a result, people who received a preliminary cognitive load worked 16 and 18% slower than the rest of the participants in the "easy" and "hard" modes, respectively.
In other words, after a hard day at work, running, cycling or group cardio will be more difficult than in the morning or in the afternoon, when the brain is not yet tired.
Which indicators are not affected by mental fatigue
Unlike cardio, strength training and power training performance does not seem to suffer from mental fatigue.
For example, in one experiment, they tested how cognitive load would affect the results of bicep curls with a barbell, and did not see a difference in the results. People who performed the exercise after 10 minutes of cognitive load did as many repetitions as those who exercised without prior mental fatigue.
No effect on strength indicators was found in a systematic review of 11 studies. The scientists concluded that the shorter the exercise and the more effort required to perform it, the smaller the effect of mental fatigue.
After work, you can work with a barbell or on the machines, using heavy or medium weights and low repetitions.
Just be more careful with unilateral exercises like squats on one leg. A review of seven scientific studies found that mental stress worsens the sense of balance in both the elderly and the young.
How to reduce the negative effect of mental fatigue
There are several ways to avoid declining sports performance.
Move the class to the morning
This is the most obvious way to exercise with a fresh head. If you have never tried to train in the morning, consider that at first the indicators may drop a little, but regular classes will lead to adaptation and remove restrictions.
Take a nap before class
Scientists assumed that the decrease in indicators can be associated with the level of adenosine. This is a neurotransmitter - a substance that is involved in the transmission of impulses between neurons and has an inhibitory effect.
Prolonged wakefulness and high cognitive load increase its level, cause drowsiness and reduce performance in endurance tasks.
Sleep, on the contrary, reduces the level of adenosine. So, if you have the opportunity to support 15-20 minutes before class, do it.
Reduce stress
In a systematic analysis, it was noted that norepinephrine may be responsible for the decrease in endurance.
This neurotransmitter is produced in large quantities during times of stress, so mental stress combined with psychological stress can further reduce performance in training and doing anything at all.
To deal with stress, try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation. A short concentration session of 10-15 minutes will relieve tension, which can have a positive effect on your endurance.
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