I'm really excited about today's guest, Dr. Water Staiano.  After reading Alex Hutchinson's book Endure and doing a little bit of my own research about mental fatigue and performance, I needed to know more.  Personally, this year I have been struggling with fatigue despite one of my lowest training loads.  I learned it was due to the mental fatigue of all the other inputs and projects I take on.  Rest also means resting your brain.  But what actually constitutes resting your body AND your mind?  How do you know if your fatigue is from the body or from the mind?  Dr. Staiano and I got to the bottom of a lot of my questions.  The most exciting part is that the research in mental fatigue is still pretty young and in the next several years, there will be a lot of great tools we can use!

Dr. Staiano has spent nearly 20 years in sport science and performance. Working in many research labs around the globe, he has worked closely and created long-lasting collaborations with several sport institutions. Dr. Walter has supported and advised a number of coaches, military personnel and elite athletes preparing for world championship events and the Olympic Games.

Dr. Staiano's research in the last few years has been highly ranked for its innovative elements and multidisciplinary approach as well as for its strong impact on elite sport performance.  His passion is integrating evidence-based and experience-based domains, and it has been a successful formula. With the sole purpose to help athletes go beyond their limits and capabilities, he has been wearing many “hats”: physiologist, psychologist, neuroscientist, and coach and sport consultant providing an almost unlimited perspective. Topics Discussed in the Podcast 

• What is mental fatigue
• Biomarkers of fatigue/how to know if you are tired
• How do you train your brain?
• Does brain training affect athletic performance
• Mindfulness protocols for brain training and mental endurance
• how to rest your mind
• perception of effort vs pain
• how to use heat acclimatization to prepare for your next event

 Listen Now

 

 

Links

• Dr. Staiano's LinkedIn
• Walter Staiano on Twitter
• Podcast episode I recorded with Alex Hutchinson

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The Grow the Good Podcast is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.