Breaking Down The Physiology Of Exercise - Train the Brain first!

“Most of us have never pushed ourselves beyond what is comfortable…” ?

– Tim Noakes?

Professor Tim Noakes and I share with you a comprehensive view on human physiology in terms of diet and exercise, as well as the role of the mind.? Tim Noakes is an emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town and the chairman of The Noakes Foundation. The aim of his foundation is to advance medical science’s understanding of the benefits of a low-carb high-fat (LCHF) diet by providing evidence-based information on optimum nutrition. He has authored several books like The Real Meal Revolution, Raising Superheroes, Lore of Nutrition, Diabetes Unpacked, Superfood for Super Children and Waterlogged to name a few. His most recent work is the development of? 'The Nutrition Network', which is a certification and training program for doctors who want to prescribe a high-fat, low-carb diet to their patients.

You can watch the full episode with Prof. Tim Noakes here, or click here to stream it on your preferred podcast streaming channel.

Today we’ll talk about the body and mind. The body and mind relationship is vital when it comes to health, longevity, and performance. Diet and exercise can train the body and make the body physically ready for high-performance states, but the mind can help push the body beyond what it thought was possible.?

The Mind and Exercise?

“As much time as you put on the track physically, there is also a big essence going on in the brain and having to overcome the demons there”

?- Dr Marcus Ranney

When we exercise, it is easy to measure our body's output, such as oxygen consumption, temperature, metabolic functioning, muscle damage and so on. But we often don't realize that the mind also plays a big role in how we view our exercise sessions. In 1996, Prof. Noakes published his theory on Central Governor. This theory states that fatigue is actually a protective factor for the muscles and heart to not overexert themselves during high-intensity workouts such as long-distance running.?

For Prof Noakes, the best athlete doesn't have the most pain. Pain is what is produced in the mind. When athletes train, they always feel the pain is worth it as their focus is on improving their performance, and enduring pain is a part and parcel of that. There is a need to push themselves beyond what is comfortable for them and achieve more and more. This can be observed by the cyclists of the Tour de France who can cycle for five to six hours every day because they have convinced their brains to do so.?

Based on my personal experience as a runner, I have found the last kilometre is always the fastest no matter how tired the athlete is. A theme I covered in great detail in my best-selling book “At The Human Edge”, in the last chapter on ‘Mind Over Matter'.??

This is because the brain taps into the reserve and provides us with energy when we perceive the distance as small. While training or running the mind also focuses on the distance that one aims to run. This is why South American elite athletes who run the Comrade marathon of 56 miles get tired at 40 miles instead of 20. So, as much time and effort is put into physical training, the thoughts in the brain also need to be fought.

From this, it can be understood that it is not only the body that needs the training to endure any physical exercise, the mind plays a role in how we view challenges and how we can overcome them too. Prof Noakes advises people to keep increasing their training intensity and not start off with high training or copying someone else’s training methods. Each one of us is different and we need to train ourselves accordingly. For instance, you can start by exercising for 15 minutes every day and then gradually increase the duration to one hour.

Long-distance runners and people who aim to run marathons needn’t run marathons every three to four months. The optimum is to run one ultramarathon and one small race every year so that the 30-40 years of running can be spread out in that much amount of time.?

How can you get started?

To get started on your journey towards a healthier and longer life by focusing on your diet, the best way forward is to speak to a physician,?

You can book a session with me, and we can chat about getting you started on your health journey.??

If you found this topic of interest, then check out the podcast episode I hosted on my podcast, THE EDGE with Prof Tim Noakes on exercise and nutrition. You can watch the full episode here, or click here to stream it on your preferred podcast streaming platform.

This newsletter is a part of our ongoing series.?