Why Do We Need A ‘Rest Day’?
We work hard day in and day out so that we can play even harder when game time comes.
Practice, hard work, and dedication are all important pieces of the puzzle that make up a top performing athlete.
But there is one more piece to that puzzle that’s just as important as giving it 110% every practice – getting quality rest.
A huge problem I’ve seen, over and over, that keeps athletes from greatness, is not getting enough quality rest.
Inside of our bodies, we are constantly preserving a balance between action and rest. We do this using a system known as [Read More] the Autonomic Nervous System (A.N.S).
This system is a part of your entire nervous system, working automatically and subconsciously to influence many functions within the body, such as: heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate.
The A.N.S. is composed of two parts:
- The parasympathetic nervous system
- And the sympathetic nervous system.
The sympathetic nervous system is the body’s “fight or flight” mode, increasing a body’s alertness and heart rate in stressful situations like in the heat of a game on the field.
It does this with a hormone known as cortisol, which is normally released in response to events such as: waking up in the morning, exercising, and acute stress.
All of which are situations where our bodies need to use a lot of energy to get ourselves from a resting and passive state, to an active, alert one.
Whether in the middle of an intense training session, or the last quarter of a heated match, this automatic response gives you that quick jolt of energy and focus to push through and perform!
The parasympathetic nervous system regulates our “rest and digest” functions, where our body enters a relaxed and recovering state.
This activates our metabolism, increases digestion and allows for our body to recuperate from the leftover stress hormones created by our fight or flight response.
These two parts of our nervous system need to be in balance in order to maintain health.
So what’s the problem?
In short, the theory is that with our ever-stressed, fast-paced lifestyle, our bodies are pumping out the stress hormone cortisol almost constantly.
Overexerting yourself can cause excess stress hormones to build up within the body.
If you don’t allow yourself the time to rest, you may find that:
- Getting to sleep becomes more difficult
- Your muscles frequently tighten and cramp
- And you’re constantly feeling fatigued and emotionally drained
This is because the excess of stress hormones within the body are building up faster than your body can remove them!
This can really begin to impact your performance.
Prolonged or excessive cortisol secretion may result in a compensatory down-regulation or resistance from the brain receptors that block cortisol binding.
Regardless of the mechanisms involved, the long-term effect of chronic stress remains the same: cortisol fails to function. (1)
Simply put, you can’t stay at the top of your game if you’re stressed out.
To perform well when you’re under pressure in sports, the mind needs to think even faster, by activating an old survival mechanism, an ancient mental program to consider all the things that could go wrong helping you prevent them.
That mental clutter causes an interference that separates your mind from where it needs to be – in the flow state.
To reach the flow state you should strive to reach a zen state, a mental place where you’ve calmed your anxieties and worries that take your attention, time, and energy away from the game.
We want to help you get there!
Our Mental Toughness supplements were formulated with natural ingredients to help your mind and body achieve a calm and focus beyond what we are naturally capable of.
The first is “Zen State”, a calming formula that provides support for managing stress, combating restlessness, relaxing nervous feelings, and relieving mental exhaustion.
It contains Ashwagandha: Also known as Indian Ginseng or Winter Cherry, an antioxidant that also naturally stimulates the brain’s GABA pathways.
GABA is a neurotransmitter that promotes calmness and regulates the release of cortisol (the stress hormone), helping you to get back to balance.
Our second formula is called “Flow State”, named after the “Flow state” or “being in the zone.”
It’s a nutrient and vitamin-rich blend made to provide mental clarity, focus, and energy. Making it easier for you to remove interference and stay in your flow.
When you’re in the zone, following that flow – you eliminate any interference that could interrupt your ability to perform and achieve your goals.
We formulated these products ourselves to help us stay calm and focused *even* amidst a sea of external stressors.
They worked so well that we wanted to get them out to other athletes to help them stay in Flow!
To learn more about how these formulas help to improve your mental toughness, click here.
We believe in these products and take them regularly. If you have any questions please reach out to our customer service team toll free at 1-833-688-8866
Keep following your flow,
The Mental Toughness Team
Reference:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4263906/