About Health

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Why Athletes Melt Under Pressure

Why Athletes Melt Under Pressure

Wonder why you see so many professional kickers miss easy field goals? Their brains may be to blame: Thinking too hard could cause you to choke under pressure, says new research from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The study found that your explicit memory, or step-by-step thought process, can muddle your implicit memory (your tool for remembering how to do things automatically) and negatively affect performance. For example, if you try to remember all the steps to riding a bike while pedaling, you’ll quickly be in the bushes. But hop on and start cycling without a second thought, and you’ll coast away easily.

So when athletes find themselves in high-pressure situations—like taking the lead in a tied football game—they’re more likely to let their explicit memory interfere and screw up their performance, even though they’ve aced the same feat in the past.

You can fall victim to this thinking trap, too. The fix: Next time you’re in a tight spot and everyone is watching—say, you need to deliver a winning business pitch in front of a team of investors—relax and remember how you’ve kicked butt before. Look back on past successes and figure out why they went right. It will give you confidence and remind you that, yes, you once nailed it and can do it again. Here are more proven ways to succeed under pressure.

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Does Drinking Help Fight Depression?

Does Drinking Help Fight Depression?

Here’s news you can drink to: Red wine may help you beat the blues, according to recent Spanish research.

In the study, people who had between two and seven glasses of red per week faced the lowest risk of depression than any other group of drinkers—including abstainers. Researchers believe that red wine’s potent antioxidant resveratrol—which has also been shown to have cardiovascular benefits—may have brain-protecting qualities, too.

So should you trade in Paxil for pinot noir? Of course not. Keep consulting with your doc for your best depression treatment, but if you want to have a glass or two with dinner, go for it. Guarantee a quality pour every time with these 10 best wines for under $15.

Just make sure not to overdo it: Guzzling more than two drinks a day (or 14 a week) reverses the positive effects and puts you at higher risk for damaged organs, arrhythmias, and liver disease, according to the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

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How Perilous is Pot?

How Perilous is Pot?

To frequent tokers, the latest headlines about pot come as no surprise: Marijuana—the world’s drug of choice—is also the least dangerous, finds a new study from the University of Washington.

While pot is the most popular drug (out of cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, and opioids), the research found it wasn’t responsible for any of the estimated 78,000 deaths from illegal drugs in 2010. (Researchers attributed more than half the deaths to painkillers.)

To docs who know the research well, this reaffirms beliefs: “Marijuana is not only non-toxic—but remarkably non-toxic,” says Lester Grinspoon, M.D., associate professor emeritus of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

But while this study might seem to score another point for pot proponents, there’s still plenty of haze surrounding the drug—chiefly, the question of whether weed should be deemed a medicine. After all, just this week, a University of Maryland study found that regular hits in your teen years could impair brain function and cognition.

Earlier this year, we visited the country’s federally funded pot farm at the University of Mississippi searching for answers. Click here to discover The Truth About Medical Marijuana.

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NEW STUDY: How to Win a Negotiation

NEW STUDY: How to Win a Negotiation

Fortune favors the brave. Make the first offer in a negotiation—whether you’re asking for a raise or agreeing on a tee time with buddies—and you’ll walk away in better shape, says a new study from Johns Hopkins University.

When experienced business managers took part in a hypothetical negotiation, those who made the initial attempt nearly doubled their take-home value compared to execs who waited for the other guy to start the bidding.

Here’s why: Throwing out the first proposal focuses your counterpart’s brain on your offer, explains study coauthor Brian Gunia, Ph.D. And decades of psychology research proves people have a hard time ignoring available figures—even when they know they should, Gunia adds.

Try it outside the office: Scheduling a doctor’s appointment? Choosing a weekend to take a trip with your girlfriend? Make the first suggestion, and you’re more likely to get your way, Gunia’s research shows.

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How Your iPad Drains Your Confidence

How Your iPad Drains Your Confidence

Dial back your texting habit: Typing on tiny devices can make you feel less confident, finds new research from Harvard Business School.

Compared to people who spent a few minutes working on small, tablet-sized devices, those who typed on regular desktop computers were nearly twice as likely to speak up during an experiment that tested assertiveness. The desktop users also spent about 30 percent less time waiting meekly during a follow-up test that measured power and self-confidence, the research shows.

Think of the way you sit or stand while typing on a phone as opposed to a computer. While cell phones and tablets require you to hunch forward and assume a compact body position, larger devices force you to open up your pose, explains study coauthor Maarten Bos, Ph.D. Along with increasing your confidence, research shows an open posture raises your pain threshold, ups your testosterone levels, and decreases stress-linked hormones like cortisol. It can even help you attract women, according to a British study.

Why does this matter? If you spend time scrunched down over your phone before an important meeting, interview, or date, you’ll feel less confident and self-assured, Bos says. There are two ways to combat this: Stay off your phone, or adopt an expansive body pose while you use it. That means keeping your legs apart, your shoulders back, and your chin up, the study authors say. Skeptical? Research proves this type of posture can help you ace an interview.

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The Snowball Effect of Too Much Stress

The Snowball Effect of Too Much Stress

Uptight and angry? Stress can make it harder to control your emotions, finds new research from New York University.

In the study, tense people had nearly twice as strong of a cortisol response—a hormone associated with fear—when they saw photos of spiders and snakes than participants who were relaxed.

Researchers aren’t sure exactly how stress reduces your ability to stay cool, but they believe that self-control—which you need to keep calm—is a limited resource that can become weak or depleted when exposed to negative emotions.

Keeping your head straight can be tough when you’re worked up, so take it one step at a time. It’s easier than you think: Australian researchers found that just 15 minutes of deep breathing and listening to soft music can reduce your stress levels by 25 percent. Once you chill out, any problem becomes easier—in fact, you’re less likely to make irrational decisions when calm, a recent British study found.

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Your Biggest Gym Distractions

Your Biggest Gym Distractions

Getting in the door is only half the battle: Gym-goers waste 35 percent of their time not working out, according to a survey of 1,000 members at U.K.-based Harpers Fitness. (That’s 21 minutes out of an hour.)

Whether they’re fiddling with headphones or chatting up a treadmill neighbor, people spend an average of 69 hours a year at the gym doing something other than what they went there to do! Take a look at exactly how you could be missing out on feeling the burn:

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