Too Much Physical Exertion Appears To Make The Brain Tired

On my drive to the office this morning, I was listening to NPR on the radio and it was reporting on a study of endurance athletes that was published this week in the journal Current Biology. Researchers found that after several weeks of over training, athletes became more likely to choose immediate gratification over long-term rewards. At the same time, brain scans showed the athletes had decreased activity in an area of the brain involved in decision-making. The finding could explain why some elite athletes see their performance decline when they work out too much — a phenomenon known as over-training syndrome.

Essentially, when an athlete trains too hard, a sort of brain fatigue sets in and the person has less ability to push their body. Other research teams have also found evidence that physical exertion can affect both decision-making and brain activity.

One of the researchers said, "We find that people as they have repeatedly exerted effort over time, they tend to be less willing to continue exerting effort for rewards. But the brain may not be simply choosing between long-term goals versus immediate gratification. The calculus may be more about cost and benefit."

Research suggests that when the body becomes physically depleted, the brain begins to experience "motivational fatigue," which affects decision-making. When that happens, the brain may not consider it worth it anymore to wait for higher rewards. The brain appears to be constantly reassessing the value of a goal. So, your brain is constantly asking: is it still worth the effort? And the answer to that question may change as the body's level of fatigue increases.

Having pushed my body to extreme levels for many years (2005 through 2011) as I ran solo across the United States, Germany, Alaska, the Mojave Desert and other locations, I can tell you that motivational fatigue is real and there were certainly times when my brain was telling my body to stop... but I pushed forward anyway. I accomplished every ultra-endurance run I attempted. There was a price to pay for that, both physically and mentally. As many know, I retired a few years ago from extreme endurance running. Since running across the Mojave Desert in 2011, I haven't taken on any ultra-running challenges. In many ways, I feel that my life as a whole is now much healthier, more balanced, and more enjoyable.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past