"Stress influences motor skills"

What is the correct behaviour when falling? Is that even possible? And why do amateur bikers get injured much more than professionals in much more spectacular falls? We try to get to the bottom of these questions in the new issue of FREERIDE and interviewed neuroscientists, movement experts and professionals.

What is the difference between a professional and an amateur freerider who falls?
A professional can predict whether something will work or not much earlier on the basis of experience. That is an enormous advantage. In this context, we speak of anticipation. This is made possible by a constant comparison between the actual and target values of the movement in the brain. The brain of a top athlete works very efficiently in this respect and can recognise even the smallest deviations from the target value so that the movement can be corrected at an early stage or, in an emergency, aborted.
There have also been studies in basketball where professional athletes were able to recognise whether the ball hit the basket or not shortly after it left their hand when watching free throws. This also activates areas of the brain responsible for motor skills. This is also referred to as "motor resonance". Learning by watching?
Sure, that's been proven. When freeriding, for example, if you watch your buddy do the jump, you notice many things that help you. E.g. speed, intensity of the stretch, etc.
Some people claim that it helps to speak well before doing daredevil stunts. Is that true?
It could help to reduce stress levels. And that's basically a good thing, because stress usually has a negative effect on motor skills. In the worst case, you tense up. As a result, the muscles don't work properly.
What other mental aids are there?
Professional athletes go through the run again mentally before their run. This also activates sensorimotor areas of the cerebral cortex. In other words, you go through the movements in your brain without physically moving. Muscles are often subliminally activated in the process. So it helps, provided the movements you go through mentally are correct.

+++ You can find the complete article in the new FREERIDE 1/16. Now on newsstands +++