HOW DO OLYMPIC ATHLETES PREPARE MENTALLY?

There is no doubt about the quality and professionalism of the athletes with whom we are surprised at the great Olympics. However, we can only imagine a very small part of all the effort involved in being an elite athlete.

All athletes have a team of experts who accompany them and work in harmony, since the victory of an athlete does not depend only on him. A whole specialized team helps you reduce the risk to the maximum while maintaining the adrenaline. From psychologists, through nutritionists, physiotherapists to sports doctors.

They also undergo daily check-ups such as weight control, recovery from injuries, therapies for anxiety or fear of failure. All this leads us to think that not all training is physical, but that a muscle as important as the brain must be taken into account. Mental preparation is a key element in an athlete's career.

Negative thoughts and lack of motivation can lead them to lose a competition they have been working on for the last 4 years. This is the case of Olympic athletes, and that is why we ask ourselves: what is it like to train for such a long-term competition?

FOOD AND THE MIND

First of all, maintain a rigid and specific diet during the years of preparation. A good diet that will make our body have enough energy to overcome the marks. These are four key elements for an athlete's diet:

- Breakfast must be adequate and abundant.

- Avoid eating "anything" between meals.

- You should drink as much water as possible, even if you are not thirsty.

- Adequate rest since, although it is important to dedicate many hours to training without sleep time, they will be of no use.

WE ARE LIMITED BEINGS

There are speed limits for a cyclist or a runner despite the fact that world records are set every year. A professor at Edith Cowan University in Australia says that there is still a long way to go before we see the best athletes in history. The explanation given by the teacher is that technological innovation plays a fundamental role in breaking new records.

For example, this is the case of the progressive advancement of some shoes that have improved technology that has allowed human beings to be faster in races.

Despite this, having the perfect body, a rigorous training program or the latest shoes does not matter if your head is not focused on the day of the competition.

In the preparation of an Olympic athlete, everything is related. On the one hand, the sacrifice that involves spending four or five years preparing to be number one, with a high chance that you won't reach gold for a thousandth of a second. On the other, the importance of the athlete having mental strength that makes them see the full range of results, including defeat. That is why continuous monitoring by their personal psychologists of the athlete's mental health is important, as well as support that encourages them in moments of frustration or demotivation.

MENTAL TECHNIQUES FOR SPORTS PREPARATION

The mental health of an Olympic athlete is so important that an exhaustive analysis will be made of his individual weaknesses and strengths to develop a specific training program. Although each athlete is different on a mental level, there are a series of general techniques :

- Think about the objectives.

-Inner dialogue, that is, a conversation that the athlete has with himself that helps him to concentrate and control his emotions before competing.

- The imaginary, one of the most complicated strategies that consists of the athlete imagining from the beginning to the end all his journey and training, which will give him more confidence. In addition, you will also be able to imagine the various scenarios in the competition in order to give them the most appropriate response when it happens, including defeat.

- Finally, it will be important to remain calm before the competitions. Can you imagine the feeling of being about to compete in front of the entire planet? Techniques are used to control the pressure and that the nerves do not play a trick on you. The solution to these problems is long, deep breaths or inner conversations.

WHEN DO THE ATHLETE BEGIN TO SEE THE RESULTS?

The speed with which results are obtained depends on the individual personal problems of each athlete. According to some studies, problems derived from lack of confidence or concentration, can be improved more easily with results around six to eight weeks. On the other hand, others such as fear of failure or perfectionism require more time and dedication.

Despite this, sports psychology is not an exact science and there are many factors that can make this training not give the expected results. Sports are complex and unpredictable and therefore often uncontrollable. Although there will always be exceptions since it is rare that training, both physical and mental, does not translate into an improvement in competitions.

Research from the Journal of Sport Sciences confirms that most Olympians who make it to the podium have a high degree of self-confidence, can avoid distractions, control their arousal, and They maintain a surprising perfectionism.

MENTAL PREPARATION IN COUPLE SPORTS

It is true that there is a clear difference in preparation depending on whether it is an individual sport, as a couple or as a team. In the second case, we can see it in figure skating where a good relationship and harmony with your partner is essential. As an example of this we have Adrián Diaz and Olivia Smart who had to work on this chemistry between the couple in order to put on a good show at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.