Mental Energy

When we consider mental energy, it’s clear thinking and creativity we want, rather than that foggy feeling or depression. Too many endurance athletes set themselves up for anxiety or depression, which adversely affects physical performance. This can result not only from a bad race or the frustration of training, but from poor brain function. When you have a thought or feel a sensation from the outside world, it’s the result of major chemical reactions in your brain.Diet can have an immediate and profound effect on brain chemistry, often as much as drugs, but easier to regulate and without unwanted side effects. A meal at dinnertime can influence your sleep, dreams, and how you feel during your morning workout. And what you eat, or don’t eat, for breakfast can determine your overall human performance for the rest of the day.

Delta waves (0.5-4 Hz) are very slow waves occurring during most stages of sleep. It is abnormal for them to occur while one is awake, and may indicate a lack of nutrients such as glucose or oxygen, medication effects, or poorly functioning neurons.
Another brain wave type is gamma (30-80 Hz). Much less is known about this type of wave. It may be associated with more complex cortical function and higher levels of consciousness. A sensory motor rhythm (12-15 Hz) above the higher end alpha and entering beta has been associated with alert but muscle-relaxed states.
Our brains should make specific waves in certain brain regions at appropriate times. An abnormality might include a normal wave occurring at the wrong time. For example, delta waves that occur while driving to the pool for a swim workout are abnormal, leading to distraction and increasing the risk of a traffic accident. And the appearance of theta waves while on a long bike ride is abnormal and could account for getting lost or drifting into the rear wheel of the rider in front of you.
The ability to produce alpha waves is associated with an overall healthy brain and body, especially in relation to controlling stress. It is one reason people have, for thousands of years, pursued meditation, the use of psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs, prayer, and other activities that seek to promote the alpha state. Specifically, alpha waves can reduce high levels of the stress hormone cortisol and help balance the autonomic nervous system. These alpha waves can have dramatic effects on our whole body, such as improved memory, learning, and comprehension, better blood sugar regulation, improved gut function, and balanced hormones. When we’re relaxed, creative, meditating, and happy, our brain produces large amounts of alpha waves. For these and other reasons, one main focus of respiratory biofeedback is the creation of alpha waves.
The inability to produce alpha waves signifies underlying problems. Inadequate sleep, overtraining, nutritional imbalances, and very high levels of stress hormones can impair the ability to produce alpha waves. Even certain structural problems, such as those in the jaw joint or neck muscles, can significantly reduce our ability to generate healthy alpha waves.

Most of the forty or more types of neurotransmitters are made from amino acids derived from the protein in your diet. Certain vitamins and minerals are also required for their production, including vitamin B6, folic acid, niacin, iron, and vitamin C. There are many important neurotransmitters related to mental function. They include serotonin and norepinephrine—the two most commonly discussed substances.

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