I'm struggling to find the motivation and energy to get in the water today. Fast, demanding work week, finally a blessed AM of sleeping in without an alarm clock (at somewhere near 10 hours).
But I've got an open water swim a week from now. While I didn't get in enough yardage to need to taper, and my goals for the swim are simply to be safe and have fun, I don't want to be physically limited in the waters of Lake Superior. So I feel compelled to go to the pool.
How do others manage the trade-off of rest vs. training?
Off to the pool now. I'll let you know how it goes.
Tom, I came across the following a few years ago, and it has stuck with me: Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans J Appl Physiol 106: 857–864, 2009.First published January 8, 2009; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.91324.2008.
The abstract:
Marcora SM, Staiano W, Manning V. Mental fatigue impairs physical
performance in humans. J Appl Physiol 106: 857–864, 2009. First published
January 8, 2009; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.91324.2008.—Mental fatigue
is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of
demanding cognitive activity. Although the impact of mental fatigue
on cognitive and skilled performance is well known, its effect on
physical performance has not been thoroughly investigated. In this
randomized crossover study, 16 subjects cycled to exhaustion at 80%
of their peak power output after 90 min of a demanding cognitive task
(mental fatigue) or 90 min of watching emotionally neutral documentaries
(control). After experimental treatment, a mood questionnaire
revealed a state of mental fatigue (P 0.005) that significantly
reduced time to exhaustion (640 316 s) compared with the control
condition (754 339 s) (P 0.003). This negative effect was not
mediated by cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic factors as physiological
responses to intense exercise remained largely unaffected.
Self-reported success and intrinsic motivation related to the physical
task were also unaffected by prior cognitive activity. However, mentally
fatigued subjects rated perception of effort during exercise to be
significantly higher compared with the control condition (P 0.007).
As ratings of perceived exertion increased similarly over time in both
conditions (P 0.001), mentally fatigued subjects reached their
maximal level of perceived exertion and disengaged from the physical
task earlier than in the control condition. In conclusion, our study
provides experimental evidence that mental fatigue limits exercise
tolerance in humans through higher perception of effort rather than
cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic mechanisms. Future research
in this area should investigate the common neurocognitive resources
shared by physical and mental activity.
exercise performance; endurance; perceived exertion; motivation
Tom, I came across the following a few years ago, and it has stuck with me: Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans J Appl Physiol 106: 857–864, 2009.First published January 8, 2009; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.91324.2008.
The abstract:
Marcora SM, Staiano W, Manning V. Mental fatigue impairs physical
performance in humans. J Appl Physiol 106: 857–864, 2009. First published
January 8, 2009; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.91324.2008.—Mental fatigue
is a psychobiological state caused by prolonged periods of
demanding cognitive activity. Although the impact of mental fatigue
on cognitive and skilled performance is well known, its effect on
physical performance has not been thoroughly investigated. In this
randomized crossover study, 16 subjects cycled to exhaustion at 80%
of their peak power output after 90 min of a demanding cognitive task
(mental fatigue) or 90 min of watching emotionally neutral documentaries
(control). After experimental treatment, a mood questionnaire
revealed a state of mental fatigue (P 0.005) that significantly
reduced time to exhaustion (640 316 s) compared with the control
condition (754 339 s) (P 0.003). This negative effect was not
mediated by cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic factors as physiological
responses to intense exercise remained largely unaffected.
Self-reported success and intrinsic motivation related to the physical
task were also unaffected by prior cognitive activity. However, mentally
fatigued subjects rated perception of effort during exercise to be
significantly higher compared with the control condition (P 0.007).
As ratings of perceived exertion increased similarly over time in both
conditions (P 0.001), mentally fatigued subjects reached their
maximal level of perceived exertion and disengaged from the physical
task earlier than in the control condition. In conclusion, our study
provides experimental evidence that mental fatigue limits exercise
tolerance in humans through higher perception of effort rather than
cardiorespiratory and musculoenergetic mechanisms. Future research
in this area should investigate the common neurocognitive resources
shared by physical and mental activity.
exercise performance; endurance; perceived exertion; motivation
