Sport Injury Psychology

In a recent article in the SIRC Collection Dr. John Heil talks about the "10 Challenges" faced by the injured and recovering athlete, and the psychological tools that can help the athlete meet these challenges. He suggests that by approaching injury rehabilitation as part of the game that an athlete must play, the athlete can transfer sport skills to their rehabilitation. The following are the ten challenges he describes:

• Challenge 1: Knowing the Game. Knowing the “how” and “why” of rehab engages the athlete in the process.
• Challenge 2: Identifying Goals. Understanding the “how” of rehab invests the athlete in the process.
• Challenge 3: Visualizing the Plan. “See, believe & achieve”.
• Challenge 4: Focusing on Thinking. Thinking about the right thing, at the right time, in the right way.
• Challenge 5: Managing Emotions. Channeling and modulating emotions (positive and negative) energizes rehabilitation.
• Challenge 6: Playing with Pain. Differentiate performance pain from injury and adjust accordingly.
• Challenge 7: Training with Intensity. Working smarter through physiological conditioning (intensity) and biomechanical precision.
• Challenge 8: Calculating Risk. Decision-making based upon knowledge of ability, intensity and pain.
• Challenge 9: Staying Mentally Tough. Turning negative momentum into positive by having the courage to take control of what can be controlled (personal thoughts, feelings, and actions).
• Challenge 10: Self-Actualizing. Personal growth and development in the pursuit of excellence.

While meeting these challenges can help an injured athlete face their recovery with a sense of purpose and direction, they are also applicable to anyone facing adversity and looking for a positive way to move forward.

Order the full article from SIRC: Heil, John (2009). Sport Psychology and the Injured Athlete. American Fencing, 59(3), 30.

Eliminate Procrastination in the New Year!

Procrastination: putting off the important, essential tasks we need to do today and filling our time with distractions.

It’s a new year. Resolutions have been made and in some cases may already be broken however it’s only January 4th. You can get back on track! Don’t let procrastination get the better of you. It doesn’t matter whether you are an elite or recreational athlete, coach, event planner or office administrator; everyone procrastinates. What are you going to do about it in 2011?

An important thing to understand is why people procrastinate. The most common reasons are:

• Task is too difficult
• Fear of failure
• Fear of success
• Perfectionism
• Time management

Can you see yourself in this list? Perhaps you are a combination of several listed above. That’s ok! Let’s consider ways to overcome procrastination.

• Recognize that you are procrastinating
• Break a task into smaller achievable goals.
• Adopt the “15-minute plan” by committing 15 minutes a day to the project you are putting off
• Recruit the support of friends and family
• Reward yourself

Let 2011 be the year to overcome procrastination. Good luck making 2011 the most rewarding yet!

Additional Resources on Procrastination:
Association of Applied Sport Psychology: Procrastination and Student Athletes
Procrastination Research Group
Psychology Today: Procrastination
Savec, John. (2010) “Beating Procrastination.” IDEA Fitness Journal. July-Aug. p.97-101. (Available in SIRC Collection)

How Superstitious Are You?

Superstitions have been part of our lives since the beginning of time and nowhere is this more prevalent than in the world of sports! They are mostly developed by an athlete in hindsight, because a particular outcome occurred (positive or negative) when doing a certain ritual. Athletes especially find it necessary to attribute a ‘cause and effect’ to particular results and they will attempt to recreate or avoid it before every competition.

Some of the rituals can include such things as playing a certain song, putting socks on in a particular order, eating favourite foods on game days or predicting doom on Friday the 13th. Others include growing a beard while winning, tapping the goalies pads before the game, or dribbling the ball exactly three times in a certain cadence before the foul shot. And there are many, many more all different from the rest.

But no matter how silly superstitions may seem, and some superstitions are stranger than others, there actually is real value in having them. If an athlete believes that engaging in a specific action or behaviour will make them perform better, then they probably will. This indeed is a foundation of sports psychology and many athletes use these methods to prepare themselves both mentally and physically for competition. Superstitions also offer a confidence boost and a sense of control over an athlete’s environment.

So you can see why many athletes continue to hold on to their assortment of superstitions as cherished traditions. But deep down, they really don’t actually believe in them, but they are not willing to take the chance, and still must act upon the belief and possibility that it may make a difference in the outcome somehow!

Contact SIRC for more information on superstitions or other sport psychology topics!

Is the Sky Always Going to be the Limit?

 Year after year, games after games, championship after championship, athletes continue to set world records and all-time best results.  But can athletic human performance continue to improve indefinitely? One might contemplate that the time will come when athletes will no longer be faster, higher and stronger. According to a South Korean study of athletics and swimming in the International Journal of Applied Management Science, analyzed data proposes that human performance will reach its pinnacle within the next decade. Statistical analysis suggests that improvements in running and swimming are slowing down, yet does not take into account variations in rules, measurements and environmental changes.

However, a current theory by Duke University engineers has shown that Olympic swimmers and sprinters have gotten bigger and faster over the past 100 years, having physically grown at a much faster rate than the normal population. According to their data analysis, the average human has gained about 4.83 cm (1.9 inches) in height since 1900, and that the fastest swimmers have grown 11.4 cm (4.5 inches) and the best runners have grown 16.3 cm (6.4 inches). Should those participating in sport over the next century continue to be taller and bigger athletes than today, there is a reasonable expectation that superior athletic performance will continue.

These days athletes are using better training methods, much improved technology and are guided by  better-than-ever prepared coaches and integrated support teams. Today's improved knowledge and applications of physiology, biomechanics and psychology towards an athlete’s performance, are something that could not have even been imagined a few decades ago, yet will most likely be outdated 20 years from now. While it is practical to believe that some sports may be nearer to their upper limit than others, as long as there is a will to continue to improve, we can only hope there is no limit on how far athletic performance can go.

Contact SIRC for more information on athlete training.

Can Deception Improve Athletic Performance?

When we're trying to climb a particularly steep hill, or run those last few kilometers in the marathon, we often try to trick our minds into ignoring any possible aches and pains or believing that those distances are shorter than they seem. If we use it in the context of making an effort seem easier, is it possible to use deception to make performance better?

According to an interesting research study from Northumbrian University, deceiving the athlete brain can lead to some improvements in athletic performance.  In a study done at the university, cyclists were asked to race against an avatar (a virtual cyclist figure), which they thought was moving at the personal best pace of each cyclist, except they were actually cycling one percent faster. The cyclists, who could see their own performance on the virtual course alongside the avatar, were not only able to match their opponent, they were actually going faster.  This lead to a two percent increase in power which may seem insignificant but not when that could be the difference between gold and not even getting on the podium.

Due to the improved performance in this study, some questions were raised out: 

• What are the limiting factors on how fast a person can go in an athletic event?
• Which fatigues first – the body or the brain?
• How much competition can affect the athlete’s speed?
• Does the brain conserve the body’s limited fuel resources?

It was also learned in the research environment that money did not increase athletic performance, for when athletes were offered money to go faster and better their own times, they could not.

Results from the experiment showed that deception can indeed lead to improved performance when the cyclists were told that the avatar was going the same speed as their personal best. But if they thought the avatar was already going faster than they had ever gone, the cyclists had a tendency to give up faster.

The “belief system” of the athlete plays a role, within limits, and if the athlete thinks a certain performance is possible, they can draw on the energy reserves that the brain is programmed to hold back.

For more information on coaching techniques, please visit SIRC.

Reference
Northumbria University (2011, October 17). Pushing the limits of performance. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 15, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/10/111017075514.htm

Original Research
Stone, Mark R.; Thomas, Kevin; Wilkinson, Michael; Jones, Andrew M.; Gibson, Alan St Clair; Thompson, Kevin G. Effects of Deception on Exercise Performance: Implications for Determinants of Fatigue in Humans. (2011). Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: POST ACCEPTANCE, 19 August 2011. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318232cf77. Retrieved February 15, 2012 from http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Effects_of_Deception_on_Exercise_Performance_.98845.aspx

Looking on the Bright Side!

We have often heard that a person’s attitude can colour their view of any situation. Someone with a positive attitude will see a situation quite differently than someone with a more negative attitude. When we have a positive attitude about a situation things seem to go much easier than if we are fighting ourselves. So how can attitude affect us in our fitness and sporting lives? And how can we work with attitude to improve our performance?

A recent article from the SIRC Collection points to 10 things we should all know about attitude and how it affects us:

1. Having a good attitude is a choice.  A person’s state of mind is what they choose it to be. We can choose how we think about something and how we will act in response.
2. Attitude can be changed.  While we may have what we consider an automatic response to something, we can choose whether or not to have a different attitude to it, we can make our attitudes whatever we want them to be.
3. Attitudes aren’t shaped in a vacuum.  A great number of factors influence the development of an individual’s attitude, from personality and temperament, to family and social environments.
4. Attitudes can be enhanced by adversity.  Successful people recognize that adversity can be used to learn more about ourselves and in effect turn failures into successes.
5. Attitude can determine whether a person is a success or a failure.  Research indicates that for the most part, people with positive attitudes are much more likely to achieve success than people who look at things from a negative perspective.
6. Attitude affects a person’s relationship with other people.  A positive attitude often gives off an infectious energy just like another’s negative attitude often feels like the energy is being sucked out of you
7. Attitude can affect outcome.  Having a positive attitude will be more likely to breed success than an negative expectation or outlook.
8. Attitude affects what a person expects from life.  “Positive people expect more and tend to achieve more”.
9. Attitudes can turn problems into opportunities.  People with a positive attitude can adapt to just about any situation and see where it can be improved.
10. Attitude determines who a person is.  A person with a positive attitude engages in life unlike those with a negative attitude who see life as something that happens to them. “Individuals with a positive attitude live their lives with passion.”

Attitude can be developed as one aspect of mental training. Being mindful of our attitude during training, competition and performance, we can exert a conscious effort to approach situations with an attitude focused on success. Use attitude as one more tool in your arsenal for personal achievement on and off the field.

Reference:

Peterson, J.A. (2012). 10 Things Health/Fitness Professionals Should Know About Attitude. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 16(1), 46.

It's more than just an injury

Often when athletes get injured and have to spend time away from sport, we only think about the recovery of the physical injury. A successful return to competition can be dependent on psychological rehabilitation as well. An article from Athletic Therapy Today, 'Psychological Rehabilitation for Recovery From Injury: The SCRAPE Approach' by Christopher James Hinderliter and Bradley J. Cardinal, helps to outline how coaches, trainers, and/or teachers can help an athlete's rehabilitation on the psychological end.

The acronym to help remember the key features is SCRAPE.
S - Social Support
C - Confidence and Competence
R - Refer
A - Accomodate
P - Psychological Skills
E - Educate

Social Support
Having a network of friends, teammates, coaches, trainers available for the injured athlete to connect with and share similar experiences can help the athlete understand the rehabilitation process they are going through and the work required.

Confidence and Competence
The clinician who attends to the patient can make a huge difference by instilling confidence and competence creating a positive outlook on the recovery process. Knowledge transfer to the patient helps them to view the rehabilitation as opportunity to show progressive improved physical ability, and traits like commitment and desire.

Refer
Often sport med doctors and trainers don't have training in psychology, and an athlete may not respond to a clinicians efforts to help the psychological process, so referral to a psychologist can be the best step.

Accommodate
The athletic trainer should work with the athlete recognizing their natural disposition and personal needs. Treatment and rehab should be individualized to each athlete to help keep the patient focused on the common rehabilitation goal.

Psychological Skills
Imagery, relaxation and goal setting will help to foster a positive outlook on recovery. They can help instill confidence, motivate, and improve the athlete's self-image.

Educate
The education of the athlete on typical recovery time, restrictions, and therapy can help the patient be more active in the process. When educating the athlete refrain from using terminology that the athlete may not understand or may confuse the athlete.

So the next time you face an athlete with an injury, think beyond the physical aid that can be provided and heal the mind as well.

Contact SIRC for more information on the physical and psychological side of sport injury! 

Reference from the SIRC Collection:
Hinderliter, C., & Cardinal, B. J. (2007). Psychological Rehabilitation for Recovery From Injury: The SCRAPE Approach. Athletic Therapy Today, 12(6), 36-38. (Order full text from SIRC)

Online Resources:
Weiss, M. (2003) Psychological Aspects of Sport-Injury Rehabilitation: A Developmental Perspective. Journal of Athletic Training, 38(2): 172–175.
Crust, Lee. Psychological Rehabilitation Techniques. Retrieved from the Internet March 27, 2012.

Yoga Poses and Meditation for back pain

Yoga- the ancient physical, mental and spiritual discipline - has been found to be a great intervention for chronic back pain. And many high level athletes use yoga as a part of their training and recovery programs. The physical stretches are the most helpful part of the recovery but let us not forgot that the mental aspect of the discipline is quite beneficial to recovery as well.

By holding a pose in yoga, our muscles strengthen. If you can hold it for about a minute and start to feel a burn you are strengthening your muscle. Yoga is a workout that reduces stress, increases flexibility and coordination.

Studies have found that sixty to ninety percent of adults will suffer from back pains. Outside the athletics world, we put our back through so much lifting, heaving, twisting and shoving in every-day life. Some of the numerous causes of back pains include: poor posture, excess body weight, herniated disc and degenerative disks to name a few. With all that work our backs are doing it’s not surprising that with 20 small intricate joints building our vertebrae, our backs are taking a beating. Add to that any athletic endeavor and it is obvious that we need to be mindful of our back health.

Although yoga is ideal for back pain recovery, simple stretching activities also work to help relieve the pain. The focus on mindfulness is what makes yoga differ from simple stretching. It calms the body and gives peace of mind. A large emphasis in yoga is good posture, which help counter the initial causes of the back pain. Before stretching your way into recovery, try asking a healthcare professional what works best for you.

Contact SIRC for more information on yoga!

Reference from the SIRC Collection: 
(2012) Suffering from Low Back Pain? Maybe You Should Try Yoga. Tufts University health & Nutrition Letter, 29(12), 3.

Online Resource:
Shepley Caron (2012). Yoga for Sports Performance: Why Yoga is an Athlete’s “Secret Weapon”. Presented at the 2012 Coaches of Ontario Conference. Retrieved from the Internet March 29, 2012.

Holingshead, Sue. Yoga for Sports Performance. Retrieved from IDEA Health & Fitness Association website March 29, 2012.

Making waves in the big pond!

On their pathway to higher competition, athletes find themselves adapting to different levels of competition and moving from being the "big fish in the little pond" to the "little fish in the big pond" as a recent article in the SIRC Collection says. This move from being the best at one level to being one of the many who are the best at the next can often be a psychological challenge for many talented athletes. Managing these complex emotions can be key to transitioning the athlete's performance.

Tips from the author:

• Focus on being your best. Comparing ourselves to others leads to focusing on our faults which causes declining confidence.
• Focus on the present. Don't get distracted by long-term goals or previous accomplishments, focus on how you can make the most of your current opportunities.
• Be coachable. You may have to make changes to your training to fit in with your new level of competition, you need to be open to the changes and willing to listen and learn.
• Make the most of your new resources. New levels of competition may bring new specialists (strength training, nutritionists, psychologists, etc.) to your coaching team. 
• Keep perspective. While your sporting achievements make up your athletic identity do not forget that it is only one part of a well-rounded person.
• Develop good habits now. Never delay learning all the little things and details that will improve your overall skill, bad habits learned early may be amplified at higher skill levels.
• Learn from Others. Talking to others who have "been there" may help you skip some of the pitfalls or better prepare you for what transitions lie ahead.

In the end, being open to learning new things and taking time to recognize accomplishments helps give an athlete a better perspective on transitioning to higher levels of competition. Athletes achieve their new levels by challenging themselves to be better. Keep the focus on moving forward and making personal improvements!

Source from the SIRC Collection:
Kimball, A.C. (2012). Making the Transition. Splash, 20(2). 16.

I can't sleep...

Preparation for a competition often includes such things like packing your gear the night before, scheduling travel time and getting a good breakfast.  Unfortunately, most people neglect an aspect of training and recovery that is one of the most important, getting a good night's sleep.

Anxiety disrupts sleep - how many times have you lain awake at night worrying about the competition ahead?  A lack of sleep interferes with your ability to remain alert during the day and can negatively affect athletic performance.

A restful night's sleep is essential for athletes, so we have gathered a series of tips that will encourage your chances of achieving this goal.

• Try not to exercise too close to bedtime, this will make your mind and body too alert
• If you need to squeeze in a nap, try to keep it under 15 mins
• Develop a bedtime ritual, this will send the right messages to your brain that it's time to wind down and relax
• Allow enough time in bed to ensure you get a minimum of eight hours of sleep
• Keep distractions out of the bedroom - televisions, computers, cell phones, cover up your digital clock
• Watch what you eat and drink - spicy or heavy meals and alcohol or caffeine may stimulate your body and reduce your chances of getting adequate sleep
• Apply breathing or relaxation techniques

While you may not be able to completely suppress your pre-competition jitters, incorporating good sleep practices into your training can make a big difference.

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Davenne D. Sleep of athletes - problems and possible solutions. Biological Rhythm Research. February 2009;40(1):45-52.
2. ERLACHER D, EHRLENSPIEL F, ADEGBESAN O, EL-DIN H. Sleep habits in German athletes before important competitions or games. Journal Of Sports Sciences. May 2011;29(8):859-866.
3. Halvorson R. Extended Sleep = Improved Athletic Performance. IDEA Fitness Journal. October 2011;8(9):14.
4. Jarver J, Anderson O. Just how crucial is a good night's sleep before a major event? / Pourquoi une bonne nuit de sommeil est decisive avant une competition importante ?. Track Coach. Summer 2002;(160):5122-5123.
5. Metzl J. Pre-race anxiety: Does a case of nerves help or hinder your race-day performance?. Triathlete. February 2006;(262):82-83.
6. Rosekind M. Peak Performance Requires Optimal Sleep and Alertness. Olympic Coach. Spring 2008 2008;20(2):4-7.

Winners Wear Red?

Anyone who is familiar with psychology is aware that colour can have a profound psychological effect on humans.  While this information is not new, with the London 2012 Olympics in full swing some are questioning whether the colour of team uniforms will have an effect on overall performance.

A recent study explored the idea that athletes who wear red may have an advantage over their rivals.  Exploring a cross section of sports from wrestling, boxing and Taekwondo, the study suggests that red may help you win.

Why red?

• Exerts dominance and power
• People who wear red have been noted as having a faster heart rate and elevated breathing
• Could effect cognitive function - impairing opponents' decision making
• Referees were found to slightly favour red competitors to those wearing blue
• Red  is active, aggressive and outspoken which demands attention from observers

In any competitive sport there will be close calls, where it will not be easy to decide the victor and a referee or judge will have to make that decision to the best of their abilities.  It seems that because red has an association with victory, the judgement of the observer can, occasionally, be influenced by the colour of the clothes that competitor's wear. 

For now though, there is still not enough solid evidence to prove that red will make us winners.  What we can say, is that red is a powerful and proud colour and we’re happy to be cheering our Canadian athletes as they wear red and white in the London 2012 Olympics.

References from the SIRC Collection

1. Abrahams R. Seeing red. Cycling Weekly. October 13, 2011;:36-39.
2. Boxer S. Dark forces: are teams that are dressed in black really meaner and tougher than their more cheerfully clad brethren? A scientific study comes up with some somber findings. Sports Illustrated. April 17, 1989;70(17):52-54;56.
3. Frank M, Gilovich T. The dark side of self-perception and social-perception - black uniforms and aggression in professional sports. Journal Of Personality & Social Psychology. 1988;54(1):74-85.
4. LeMaire J, Short S, Ross-Stewart L, Short M. The effect of uniform color on athletes' readiness for competition and perceptions of opponents' attributes. Journal Of Sport & Exercise Psychology. July 2, 2007;29:S180-S181.
5. Robbins S. Sport red for a competitive edge. Shape. February 2006;25(6):37.
6. Seeing Red!. Journal Of Sport & Exercise Psychology. December 2008;30(6):779.