WORDS OF WISDOM
Why “self-talk” is the secret to elite cardio endurance. It’s a trick worth shouting about
In the 1990s, researchers confirmed what many already believed: an athlete’s strength and endurance rise with encouragement. It’s why training with a partner increases your likelihood of lifting a PB. It’s also why the camaraderie of a workout class can keep you running on fumes. When you’re pounding the pavement at dawn, however, encouragement can be hard to come by – and it’s precisely at this moment that science says you need a good talking to.
Bangor University researchers sounded out a simple solution by taking two groups of test subjects and measuring the length of time for which they were able to exercise at 80% of their max power output. Over the following two weeks, one group was taught a number of phrases its members could use to encourage themselves, alongside the protocols for using them. The other group was taught nothing. When they repeated the test, members of the self-talk group improved by an average of 15% on their previous times.
There seems to be no right or wrong thing to say, but in much the same way as former Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman shouts, “Light weight!” before pressing 100kg overhead, the self-talk focused on perceived exertion and persuading your brain that the exercise was entirely manageable. So, remind yourself that this morning’s run is easier than last week’s, before taunting the hill at kilometre six as “Easy work!” You’ll edge ever closer to the hallowed 40-minute 10K, no extra morning runs required.