Neurobiology: some tips

of mountain biking ride

UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN: THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE

Inna Ivanova

IntroductionFor my final project I'd like to consider the relationship of

physiology and sports psychology. Consider the involvement of mental processes such as memory, attention, thinking, in the creation and improvement of motor skills for example, mountain biking.

When learning sport skills in childhood, shift gradually from simple to complex for many years of practice, many important moments absorbed intuitively. When you are going to learn a new type of motor activity during adulthood, you need to consciously organize your mental processes to achieve success.

In this essay, I examine in terms of neurobiology are some tips from the book «Mastering Mountain Bike Skills» by Brian Lopes and Lee McCormack. I use this book to improve my skills of mountain biking. This book was written for adults who want to learn mountain biking . (I’m have only Russian edition this book, so I’m sorry, I can not give the exact quotes)

Parts of the nervous system that are active in my examples.

Afferent pathways Perception (vision)

Afferent pathwaysIn the nervous system, afferent neurons (otherwise known

as sensory, receptor neurons, and afferent axons),

carry nerve impulses from receptors or sense

organs toward the central nervous system.

This term can also be used to

describe relative connections

between structures. Afferent

neurons communicate with

specialized interneurons. The

opposite activity of direction or

flow is efferent.

Afferent pathways

First, that you can note from the book, mountain biking require much attention to afferent pathways - both from external organs of perception, and the inside of the body.

Authors mentioned, that a basic skill for safety riding is to direct most of your weight on the pedals. This requires information from the muscles and joints – are you standing on the pedals, or have you push on the wheel too hard.

As conditions on your way are constantly changing, you need to follow them all the time. As a result, training and reinforcement, it should be a skill.

It’s involves and emotional state – when you feel anxiety, get angry or frustrate, it can hurts your coordination, and conversely, anxiety may mean that your performance is poor, and you are not ready to tasks.

The authors tell: "Never ride, then you feel fear, anxiety or constraint. Then easier and more relaxed you feel, the easier your body, mind and bike can handle any situation. If a strong tension man is apt to lose his mind, forget about their skills and cease to control the bike. "

One of the ways to reduce stress, which the authors suggest, is to smile. And it's really useful advice. When you smile deliberately, the brain's motor system stimulates the associated feeling of joy and it helps decrease stress. So, if you feel tension, you can try relax with smiling, for instant, and if it do not improve your coordination, come back to more simple tasks.

Picture from http://www.humanillnesses.com/

Perception (vision)Visual perception is the ability to interpret

the surrounding environment by processing information that is contained in visible light. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision (adjectival form: visual, optical, or ocular). The various physiological components

involved in vision are referred to collectively as the visual system, and are the focus of much research inpsychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, and molecular biology.

Picture from http://www.display-central.com//

Learning how to seeLearning how to see

significant in such activities. Thus bicycle speed higher than the speed of a pedestrian, it is important to learn to look as far as possible. Picture from http://www.twincities.com/

Gaze into the distance reduces the sensation of speed and the rider feels more relaxed and confident. Also, when you used to notice obstacles, you have more time to prepare to overcome it. Greater importance becomes peripheral vision. As you concentrate on a far point in front, near objects are in the field of peripheral vision, and it is more profitable than to look directly under the wheels, and wonder each new obstacle. This allows the experience and skills to work not only intentionally, but intuitively. You can not consciously make decisions, and just instantly see the correct trajectory.

Managing your attention can have a significant impact on the bike riding. For example, do not need to stare at the terrible stones, because it will lead to a clash with them. Brain perceives them as a target. Look ahead, and then the goal will to avoid crashing into the rocks, and pass them.

In childhood we have to learn how to hook up, the signals that we're getting from the retina, into meaningful perceptions. And when we ride a mountain bike we have to learn recognize the most important stimulus for the riding.

«Experienced riders know what to look for - lumps, cliffs and trees.

Beginners often distracted not the most important thing - the type of gravel, narrow gauge, or small forest animals.»

The course helped me to better analyze the events and phenomena around me through expressive examples, clear demonstrations and contagious enthusiasm Professor Mason.

Bibliography «Mastering Mountain Bike Skills» by

Brian Lopes and Lee McCormack wikipedia.org