Positivity is shown to impact performance, even if its not conscious! In a 2014 Frontiers in Human Neuroscience study, cyclists performed a time to exhaustion (TTE) test where they were asked to cycle for as long as they could at a certain percentage of their maximum power. A screen in front of them periodically flashed images of happy or sad faces in subliminal, imperceptible sixteen-millisecond bursts. The cyclists who were shown sad faces rode, on average, twenty-two minutes and twenty-two seconds. Those who were shown happy faces rode for three minutes (13%) longer and reported less of a sense of exertion.
When the images were replaced with positive words such as “Go” or “Lively” versus negative words like “Toil” or “Sleep” the margin grew to 17%. For the athletes in the two different groups there was no perceptible difference in heart rate or blood lactate levels – the difference was happening above the neck and not below it, where perceived exertion was being influenced by their state of mind even if they did not consciously know it.
How does this influence how and what you coach? It certainly emphasizes the importance of a positive coaching style. It supports the power of motivational self-talk, particularly when linked to what/if planning where you explore what you will think, how you will feel, and what you will do in certain situations ahead of time. Some rowing examples; racing in the final of the National Championships and your legs are burning at the half-way point? How about thinking “that is good because our race plan called for us to go hard in the first 1,000m” versus “OMG! How am I going to hold on?”. The post-race narration by the athletes of their Men’s coxless four final at the Athen’s Olympics is a great example of staying positive at all stages of the race whatever was happening (and its a great race to watch too!). How does a coxswain influence a race and give their crew an advantage? What if they can be the subliminal happy face in their athletes minds….
- Blanchfield et al 2014. “Non-Conscious Visual Cues Related to Affect and Action Alter Perception of Effort and Endurance Performance.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 8 (Dec): 967.