Think faster, run faster

Think you can run faster? You probably can.

A recent review of previously published studies has found that, in most cases, psychological training and visualization techniques are beneficial in endurance sports.

The University of Kent School of Sport Exercise and Science conducted the review of 46 studies across a range of different mental training and preparation techniques and found that they tend to help performance. Most of the studies looked at things such as visualization, self-talk and goal setting.

What the researchers also noted is that very few studies looked at multiple different types of mental training making it tough to compare the effectiveness of one against the others or to determine if using multiple types of mental preparation are more effective than a single practice.

Also noted in the review is a reiteration of the well-accepted understanding that head-to-head competition and  verbal encouragement tend to produce better results, so don’t stop cheering on your friends.

The review was published in the journal Sports Medicine.