In a recent podcast covering a research study about the effects of creatine on Type II diabetics, the host, after summarizing the study, concluded that creatine supplementation combined with an exercise program may be an effective way to help control glucose levels in diabetic patients, but he also went on to add that more research needed to be done to confirm the study's findings.
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Exercisephysiology's Podcast
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sports:Psychology - Quotes
"Assis says even though he is completely confident with his Jiu-Jitsu game, he still feels a little nervous before a match. 'It’s not about the guy I’m fighting,' he says, 'It’s about the big crowd surrounding the fight – it’s the situation. This is what pushes me during a fight. After my first match, I’m fine. I’m very confident. If you train hard and you believe in your training, you can’t lose.'"
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Joao Assis -- Gracie Magazine
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Joao Assis -- Gracie Magazine
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Sports:Psychology - Choking Not The Physical Kind
Choking may be caused by your conscious mind invading your unconscious mind.
A recent article pointed out that choking may occur when an expert athlete moves from one "brain system" to another. The article postulated that there are different brain systems for the differing levels of athletes. Expert athletes, for example, function from "implicit memories." The implicit memories are developed from countless hours of practicing skills. Also when an expert athlete performs, he or she develops a sort of "self-induced amnesia", which acts to suppress performance detractors like the noisy chatter coming from the conscious mind. On the opposite end, the non-expert frequently consults the conscious mind to analyze performance in an attempt to get it right. The non-expert is still developing the neural maps necessary for performing.
How do you undo choking? Try to turn off your conscious mind and turn on your unconscious mind. What is the best way to do that? There are probably a number of ways to get your mind back on autopilot, but developing specific techniques to quiet the mind is probably best addressed in another post.
Instead of focusing on what to do after chocking, it might be better to focus on developing the ability to realize when your conscious mind is over-thinking something your unconscious mind has already figured out.
A recent article pointed out that choking may occur when an expert athlete moves from one "brain system" to another. The article postulated that there are different brain systems for the differing levels of athletes. Expert athletes, for example, function from "implicit memories." The implicit memories are developed from countless hours of practicing skills. Also when an expert athlete performs, he or she develops a sort of "self-induced amnesia", which acts to suppress performance detractors like the noisy chatter coming from the conscious mind. On the opposite end, the non-expert frequently consults the conscious mind to analyze performance in an attempt to get it right. The non-expert is still developing the neural maps necessary for performing.
How do you undo choking? Try to turn off your conscious mind and turn on your unconscious mind. What is the best way to do that? There are probably a number of ways to get your mind back on autopilot, but developing specific techniques to quiet the mind is probably best addressed in another post.
Instead of focusing on what to do after chocking, it might be better to focus on developing the ability to realize when your conscious mind is over-thinking something your unconscious mind has already figured out.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sports:Psychology - Maintaining Confidence After Mistakes
After listening to a podcast (Tennis Psychology) on maintaining confidence during tennis matches, I thought how such a topic might relate to grappling, and came away with this.
According to the host of the podcast, unrealistic expectations and negative self-talk can negatively affect your mental state. In essence, imposing expectations of always performing flawlessly regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the technique or situation may lead to the development of a self-doubt. A loud inner-voice may be created, which criticizes every mistake. The danger in developing this habit (the negative inner-voice) is the erosion of self-confidence and the build up of self-doubt. However, it appears expectations and the negative inner-voice can be controlled.
First, get rid of the expectation that flawless performance regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the technique or situation is achievable.
Second, if expectations are too deeply rooted, then work against developing a negative inner-voice. After performance drops below what is expected, work on making positive statements about performance (e.g. I'm a good player) and the ability to overcome adversity (e.g. I'm going to keep going) to maintain confidence during performance. The host suggests that it is what you say to yourself after a poor performance that affects self-confidence.
Also, avoid over-thinking by simplifying how you play the game. Instead of over-thinking which technique will be best, how best to apply the technique, or when to apply the technique, feel the moment and let your training take over. At some point, you will have to trust in your training, and trust that it will guide you. The focus should be on objectives rather than results.
Appreciate the moment without asking where it's going. Imagine getting in a car and taking a trip without a destination in mind - just sit and enjoy the ride. Do not view things as mistakes, but as parts of what will make up the whole journey. What is seen on the journey shapes the traveler, and choosing to see every thing makes for a better traveler and journey.
According to the host of the podcast, unrealistic expectations and negative self-talk can negatively affect your mental state. In essence, imposing expectations of always performing flawlessly regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the technique or situation may lead to the development of a self-doubt. A loud inner-voice may be created, which criticizes every mistake. The danger in developing this habit (the negative inner-voice) is the erosion of self-confidence and the build up of self-doubt. However, it appears expectations and the negative inner-voice can be controlled.
First, get rid of the expectation that flawless performance regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the technique or situation is achievable.
Second, if expectations are too deeply rooted, then work against developing a negative inner-voice. After performance drops below what is expected, work on making positive statements about performance (e.g. I'm a good player) and the ability to overcome adversity (e.g. I'm going to keep going) to maintain confidence during performance. The host suggests that it is what you say to yourself after a poor performance that affects self-confidence.
Also, avoid over-thinking by simplifying how you play the game. Instead of over-thinking which technique will be best, how best to apply the technique, or when to apply the technique, feel the moment and let your training take over. At some point, you will have to trust in your training, and trust that it will guide you. The focus should be on objectives rather than results.
Appreciate the moment without asking where it's going. Imagine getting in a car and taking a trip without a destination in mind - just sit and enjoy the ride. Do not view things as mistakes, but as parts of what will make up the whole journey. What is seen on the journey shapes the traveler, and choosing to see every thing makes for a better traveler and journey.
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