October 19, 2016
IOM TT – Dunlop tests John McGuinness's ability to withstand pressure
IOM TT – Dunlop tests John McGuinness’s ability to withstand pressure
The series of tests devised by Professor Vincent Walsh (University College London’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience), showed that elite athletes are largely unphased when put under stressful situations, and performed significantly better when compared with non-athletes.
The study also showed that athletes’ brains were 10% quicker than non-athletes and actually improved their memory accuracy by 20% more than the non-athletes in a response to challenging and intense emotions.
The tests were conducted to test the hypothesis that the mindset of elite athletes are able to handle intense situations and emotions better than non-athletes and stay in control in high risk situations. Alongside the three Dunlop-shod racers were big wave surfer Andrew Cotton, British Champion downhill skater Peter Connolly, and experienced climber Louis Parkinson.
University College London’s Professor Vincent Walsh commented: “These elite athletes perform tasks that many of us could never comprehend but what is fascinating is their mindset when tackling such challenges. When some decisions can be the difference between success and failure, it is perhaps unsurprising that the study showed that athletes were consistently several seconds faster when performing their tasks. A few seconds or a few percent may not sound much but this is a long time in sport and is the difference between winning and losing.
The scientific test used to measure the athlete’s performance was the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). The IAPS is a database of pictures which can’t be found on the Internet, ranging from everyday objects and scenes, to extremely rare images, which have been proven to have different effects on the brain and can be used to artificially invoke feelings of stress.
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Professor Walsh.
Dunlop Tyres PR & Corporate Communications Manager, Kate Rock, said:
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