Revealed...why fear is the key to sporting success
Hormones spurred rugby stars to victory
IT was one of Scottish rugby’s greatest triumphs.
But scientists have uncovered an explanation of how the national team managed to beat world champions South Africa in a celebrated match in 2010.
Rather than teamwork, the secret, say researchers, was actually in their hormones.
The team felt the fear – and won.
Whenever the players showed raised levels of so-called ‘stress hormone’ cortisol during practice sessions on a Wednesday they won their match on the Saturday. But whenever cortiincluding sol levels dropped in training, the team went on to lose.
While it would be impossible to predict results based only on cortisol levels, the experts behind the study believe they have uncovered a reliable way of accurately forecasting if a team is at full readiness.
Academics from Imperial College London and Swansea University were given unique access to the Scotland squad during the autumn internationals of 2010 and the Six Nations tournament in 2011. Stars Richie Gray, Greig Laidlaw and Dan Parks had their saliva tested for cortisol and testosterone in the midweek before every game.
The results suggest that loading players with tension before a big match – instead of calming them down and relaxing them – can produce remarkable results.
The most impressive result came when Scotland beat South Africa 21-17 at Murrayfield. They went on to record further triumphs against Samoa and Italy but lost to New Zealand, France, Wales and England.
Cortisol – along with adrenaline – is released by the body as a reaction to an alarming situation. It helps channel energy to muscles, temporarily slow other functions such as digestion and prepare the brain for a fight-or-flight response.
The study, published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, states that a cortisol surge creates ‘mental toughness’ and ‘prepares an individual for an impending challenge’.
It adds: ‘Cortisol is connected to other psychological features such as appraisal, anxiety, mood, coping and dominance, that are relevant to resilience and vulnerability to stress.
‘The observed midweek rise in cortisol before winning could indicate a stronger capacity to prepare for, and cope with, other sporting stressors within a short time frame.’ The results also suggest that the ‘bunker mentality’ cultivated by Sir Alex Ferguson in his teams really is a winner.
Thanks to the Aberdeen and Manchester United boss, creating the fear that your team is under attack is now a core part of coaching strategy.
Dr Victor Thompson, of consultancy sportpsychologist.com, backed the study findings. He said: ‘Adrenaline can be dumped into the system in milliseconds and clear in minutes whereas cortisol builds up and dissipates more slowly. It is a marker of somebody feeling under stress and threat, but
‘Loading players with tension before game’ ‘React collectively to defeat the threat’
if it is in the system a few days before a match, it allows a problem to be recognised and a solution found so a player can be strategically prepared by the time kick-off comes.
‘In terms of human evolution, this is an echo back to the time when tribes and villages came under attack. Individuals would react to defeat the threat.
‘Fast forward to modern-day sport and you can see how cortisol and the bunker mentality, that suspicion that everybody is out to criticise and attack you, can help bind a team together.’