A06. The power of trying your hardest

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Have you ever exerted more power than usual during an important game? There is a proverb that says, " The power of the fire ." When faced with a crisis and in a situation where you think you can survive if you just try, you exert more power than you would normally think. Normally, our bodies have a limiter set on muscle power to prevent bone fractures and muscle damage. However, when you are highly motivated to get out of a crisis and survive, that limiter is removed and you exert more power than usual .

In fact, there is a study (Ikai M, et al. 1961) that looked at the relationship between power and fear, and found that when gunshots were heard behind the person's back, power increased, and when screams were added to this, power increased even more. This means that anxiety and fear caused a fight-or-flight response , which increased power .

Furthermore, there is a study in which soccer players were asked to pedal on a cycle ergometer, the resistance of which was gradually increased, and the relationship between power, blood adrenaline and noradrenaline levels, and judgment was examined (McMorris T, et al. 1999). For judgment, the players were asked to assume that they had the ball and look at the state of the opponent's defense to determine whether to dribble or pass, and the accuracy and speed of their judgment was examined. In this study, when power was at its highest , blood adrenaline and noradrenaline levels were also at their highest. And at this highest power, the accuracy of judgment did not change, but judgment became faster . Faster judgment means that the surroundings appear slower than usual. I think it is a state close to the zone . If you can see the movements of the attacking enemy clearly, it is easier to respond. Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system to dominate, increasing the levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline in the body, increasing power, and sharpening the brain.

In a crisis situation, when you are highly motivated and believe that you can survive if you try hard, your power increases and your decision-making ability becomes faster, which is thought to result in a higher level of performance .

There is a story called " The Battle of the River ," which comes from a battle in China in 204 BC. Han Xin, a general of the Han Dynasty, was fighting the army of Zhao. At that time, Han Xin had 30,000 soldiers, while Zhao had 300,000. Common sense tells us that Han Xin's army could not win. However, Han Xin set up camp in a disadvantageous location with no way out, with his back to the river. His subordinates were dissatisfied, but Han Xin was confident, saying, " We will win and hold a party ." Meanwhile, the Zhao army looked at the formation and laughed, saying they had already won. However, when the battle began, Han Xin won. Han Xin's army had few soldiers and no way to escape, but Han Xin said that he could win, so there was a ray of hope . The soldiers fought desperately, believing that they could win, and they ended up winning . It was a case of superhuman strength in an emergency, a giant killing . I believe that the words and actions of General Han Xin, who led the army, transformed his soldiers from fearful warriors into the strongest warriors.