Managers Heart Rates in Competition – Mental Approach to Games

(Des Jennings, Sports Institute NI & Kevin McGuigan, Sport Scientist Ulster GAA)

Session OutlineSection Duration

Setting the Scene:Background / What is Heart Rate

10 minutes

The Project – Heart Rate Analysis(Project Outline & Results)

15 minutes

Impact on Decision Making(Heart Math & Practical Demonstration)

15 minutes

Practical Implications(Connecting Theory & Practical)

15 minutes

Recommendations & Discussion(Questions)

15 minutes

Picture this....

Background – Dugmore (2002)

Peak HR – 120 BPM Peak HR – 160 BPM

Dugmore (2002)

• “Getting your heart to these sorts of levels would normally only happen if you had done a vigorous work-out in the gym”.

• “Your heart needs to be fit to withstand those surges... ...many managers are former players and if they don’t take care of themselves, they will be at significant risk”.

What is Heart Rate?

• What is it?– The body’s ‘rev counter’;

• What does it feel like? – Practical Example 1 (Volunteer)

• How do stress and physical activity affect HR?– “It’s far more dangerous when stress causes the response because the

adrenaline tends to narrow the arteries and that could contribute to the risk of heart disease”. (Dugmore, 2002)

What Can Affect HR?

Exercise 2

• In groups of 2 / 3 discuss what events during a match YOU THINK can affect / impact upon HR?

• Feedback ;

• Discussion .

The Project - Overview• 5 Senior Inter-county managers and 2 University managers participated;

• Each wore a real time HR monitor for the duration of the match;

• Key incidents were annotated on the system during the match;

• A total of 17 results were gathered across a range of matches of varying intensity;• McKenna Cup;• NFL;• Ulster Senior Football Championship

Results - StatisticsMcKenna Cup (8) NFL (6) USFC (3)

Collective Results (Based on the average across the group)

Peak HR (BPM) 124 157 146

Peak HR (%) 69 88 83

Average HR (BPM) 94 120 118

Average HR (%) 52 68 67

Individual Results

Top Peak HR 152 190 166

Low Peak HR 105 138 133

Top Avg HR 111 138 129

Low Avg HR 84 108 110

Results - Graphs

Results - Example

Approximate resting heart rate - 78 BPM

Throw In

Half Time

Major Incident

What Can Affect HR?

Return to Exercise 2 – The Answer

• In groups of 2 / 3 discuss what events during a match YOU THINK can affect / impact upon HR?

Controversial Decision

Heart Rate Peak190 BPM

Goal For

Heart Rate Peak130 BPM

Penalty For - Goal

Heart Rate Peak135 BPM

Goal Against

Heart Rate Peak130 BPM

Good Tackling Near Sideline

Heart Rate Peak130 BPM

Making Substitution

Heart Rate Peak115 BPM

Goal Against

Heart Rate Peak127 BPM

How can this heart rate response to pitch activities impact on decision

making abilities?

Des Jennings

The Physiology of Performance

CortisolDHEA

PositiveEmotion

NegativeEmotion

DynamicPassionate

FrustratedAngry

Cool under pressureIn control

Loss of interestCynical

High ArousalAdrenaline

Low ArousalRelaxation

Fight / Flight

Acetylcholine

Generating Coherence“synchronising systems”

System

Respiratory Centre

Heart

Digestive

Blood Pressure

CognitiveAutonomic Centre

60

70

80

90

1 50 100 150 200

60

70

80

90

TIME (SECONDS)

APPRECIATION

FRUSTRATION

Perceptions & Emotions profoundly affect Autonomic Nervous System Balance and

Heart RhythmsH

EA

RT R

ATE

HEA

RT R

ATE

6570

7580859095

-4

-2

0

2

4 RESPIRATION

120 180 240 300 360 420 480

0.250.260.270.280.290.300.310.32

TIME (SECONDS)

BLOOD PRESSURE (PTT)

FREEZE-FRAME

HEART RATE VARIABILITY

Generating CoherenceH

eart

Rate

(B

PM

)Tim

e (

sec.

)R

esp

. U

nit

s

Results

• There was an overall reduction in cortisol levels of 9.4% (range -32.8 to +29.6%) in the HM group compared to an overall increase of 21.1% (range -16.1 to +127.9%) in the CON group.

Testimonial• I found it helpful in helping deal with pressure situations such as before

big games and even before interviews and presentations in university.

• Yes, I felt the training taught me to be more in touch with my body and helped me channel nervous energy into positive energy effectively.

• I found the Heartmath useful to help control my heart rate and breathing.

• Tried to use the breathing technique during periods of pressure in games and training. If this was useful or successful was very hard to measure however it did provide a method of routine which in turn helped in focussing my attention in the present.

• I used it in particular with my kicking practice, and found it very useful.

Case Studies

K3

K2

K1

167

174171

123

130

140

Niall O’Connor: Heart Rate Graph

153

164165

K1 K2K3

140 143147

Ian Humphreys: Heart Rate Graph

Heartmath

Practical Exercise 3:

Need very brave volunteer.

Recommendations• How do you mentally prepare for games?

– Visualisation;– Mental Rehearsal;

• How do you prepare your support team for games?– Runners / Physio / Doctor / Selectors;– Does everyone know their role on match day?

• Do you prepare for What if Scenarios?– Not all situations can be controlled, do you have contingencies in place

for unforeseen developments?– Injuries / Red Cards / Bad Start

Recommendations

• Are you watching the game rather than engrossed in it?– Learning to take a backward step;– Remove the emotion from the situation;

• How fit are you?– Good fitness levels can help keep a lower heart rate;– It can also protect you from a health perspective;

• Can you regulate your heart rate during the game?– Breathing techniques;– Relaxation techniques.

Questions?