Peak Performance

How do you achieve your "peak performance" when you need it?  A lot of it depends on your arousal (aka activation) level as this is one of the most powerful factors affecting participation and performance. 

Activation is a term used in sport and exercise to describe a performer's level of mental and physical activity. Many things can affect a performer's level of activation, such as performance expectations, negative thinking, self-doubt, motivation, injury, preparation and readiness, general life stress, as well as external factors such as weather conditions, facilities, and spectators.  One of the best models that has been used to explain the relationship between arousal/activation and performance is the Yerkes & Dodson (1908) Inverted-U Hypothesis. According to this model, the relationship between arousal and performance approximates an inverted U shape (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. The Inverted-U Hypothesis

The theory is that when an individual's arousal level is low, performance is also low. The mind and body aren't energised and prepared to face the demands of performance.  This may look like an athlete who is over tired, hungry, unmotivated, distracted, without goals - going through the motions.

As activation level increases, performance increases up to an optimal point. However, when activation increases past this optimal point to a very high level, an individual begins to feel anxious and performance is expected to decline. It has been shown that very high physical activity (i.e., increased heart rate, respiration, sweating, blood flow, and adrenaline) interferes with the body's ability to perform – muscles “freeze” and become tight, coordination and skills break down, and early fatigue sets in. Furthermore, increased mental activity makes it difficult to concentrate, think clearly, make decisions, think positively, and feel confident.

As a result, athletes face the challenge of finding and maintaining an “optimal” activation level in order to achieve peak performance.  It is important to note that each individual's optimal activation level is different.  Some athletes need to have a higher level of arousal (more energy, focus, motivation etc) than other athletes.  Athletes also have activation "ranges" for peak performance.  What that means is that essentially you are likely to have a slightly lower activation level for a common league game than you would in the final at Nationals - although you may perform equally as well in both!  You can see the range in the chart above (from blue line to blue line).

It is extremely important for not only the athlete and the coach to be aware of a particular athlete's optimal activation levels, but also for teammates to be aware.  For example, consider a pitcher who is so nervous she seems about ready to vomit.  In her warm-up she is all over the map with her pitches - she is over throwing (over aroused).  It is very important for her catcher to identify this and help her employ the strategies that bring her back to her optimal level of activation.  The same goes for every position - teammates need to help eachother out so they can achieve their common outcome goal!

Typical signs of over-arousal

1. Muscles become too tight and rigid
2. Fast heart rate, shallow and irregular breathing, often accompanied by a racy, accelerated feeling.
3. Legs feel weak and rubbery.
4. Difficulty in concentrating and focusing.
5. Everything appears to be going faster than it really is.
6. Inability to think clearly and accurately.
7. Attention gets fixed on one thing and refocusing is difficult.
8. Feeling of high anxiety and/or fear.
9. Become fatigued very quickly.
10. Become increasingly negative and self-critical.
11. Decreasing emotional control.

Stay tuned for post number 2 on peak performance strategies

~H